Sumas Elementary, Sumas WA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Sumas Elementary

Sumas Elementary is the K-5 public school in the Nooksack Valley School District, serving the small border town of Sumas, Washington. This is a regular public school, and the grades served are pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Because the school does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate data, and the state testing results cover only the tested elementary grades. The school is part of a district that also serves the neighboring towns of Nooksack and Everson, so the elementary experience here is set within a broader, multi-town district.

Academically, the state assessment results for the most recent year show a mixed picture. In English language arts, proficiency rates among tested grades span from roughly a third of students in third grade to just under half in fifth grade. In math, the pattern is similar, with the third-grade proficiency rate being the lowest and the fifth-grade rate the highest. In science, which is tested only in fifth grade, about two-fifths of students met the proficiency standard. The school’s overall proficiency index across subjects and grades places it slightly above the midpoint when compared to other districts in Whatcom County. A parent reading these results will see a school where a sizable portion of students are meeting benchmarks, but a larger portion are not, and this pattern is fairly consistent across subjects. There is only one year of data available here, so there is no trend to compare against.

The student body is primarily white, with a significant Hispanic population making up roughly a third of students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a marker of economic need. Information on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the data provided, so a parent who wants to understand the school’s special education or language support offerings would need to ask the school directly.

Sumas itself is defined by its location at the Canadian border, with a busy port of entry as its economic anchor. The town is small and grew steadily over the past couple of decades, but growth has been complicated by serious flooding events in recent years. A catastrophic flood in late 2021 damaged a large portion of homes, and another winter storm flood in late 2025 prompted emergency declarations. The city adopted a new Comprehensive Plan at the end of 2025, indicating active planning for the future, but flood recovery and mitigation are central to the town’s daily reality and development decisions.

The district’s recent history includes voter-approved funding measures. In early 2022, voters approved a bond issue for school improvements and a levy for operations. A replacement levy was approved in early 2024, continuing that property tax funding stream. These are matters of public record that affect the district’s facilities and the tax obligations of residents. What the bond and levy have specifically meant for Sumas Elementary’s building or programs was not detailed in the data.

For a family considering Sumas Elementary, the picture is one of a small elementary school in a small, flood-prone border town. The academic results are mixed and sit around the middle of the county pack, meaning a parent will want to understand the school’s approach to supporting students who are not yet at the proficiency mark. The student body reflects the community’s economic reality, with a high rate of financial need. The school is an elementary-only setting, and the middle and high school pathways would be elsewhere in the district. The community context is shaped heavily by the border, the port, and the ongoing work of recovering from and preparing for floods.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 335%

School 35% · District 42% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 442%

School 42% · District 55% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 545%

School 45% · District 43% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 333%

School 33% · District 39% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 442%

School 42% · District 54% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 549%

School 49% · District 50% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 540%

School 40% · District 45% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

This schoolNooksack Valley School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income27%Higher-income46%19 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income41%Higher-income42%1 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income41%Higher-income62%21 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income24%Higher-income62%37 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income28%Higher-income63%36 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income38%Higher-income57%20 pp gap