Evergreen Forest Elementary, Lacey WA

Original Research by School Decision on Evergreen Forest Elementary

Evergreen Forest Elementary is a regular public school in Lacey, Washington, serving kindergarten through fifth grade as part of North Thurston Public Schools, the largest district in Thurston County. The school sits within a suburban residential community that grew out of the bedroom communities serving nearby Olympia, Fort Lewis, and Tacoma. Lacey itself is a car-dependent city bisected by Interstate 5, with a largely suburban strip-mall and subdivision character and no traditional walkable downtown. With steady population growth and ongoing warehouse and distribution development, the area has a mix of families and a notable retirement population.

The student body is racially and socioeconomically diverse. White students make up the largest single group, followed by Hispanic students, students of two or more races, and smaller shares of American Indian or Alaska Native, Black, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school has a moderately sized enrollment for its grade band. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the provided records.

State testing results for the 2024-25 school year give a picture of a school performing around the midpoint of its peers. In English language arts, proficiency rates rose across the grades tested, with a combined rate across all grades that lands above the midpoint among districts in Thurston County. In math, proficiency rates were lower across the three tested grades, and the combined math proficiency sits below the combined ELA figure. Science, tested only in fifth grade, showed a proficiency rate that falls between the school's own math and ELA results. Because only a single year of data was available, it is not possible to say whether performance is improving or declining over time.

The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to consider. Chronic absenteeism data was also absent from the records examined. A parent may want to ask the school directly about attendance patterns and how the school supports regular attendance.

The community context for a family considering Evergreen Forest includes housing costs that are above the national benchmark but somewhat below the Washington state benchmark. Rents have been rising. The local economy has a low unemployment rate, and the state of Washington is the largest employer in Lacey, along with a mix of distribution centers, retail, and healthcare employers.

Because the district-level data provided did not include specific information about recent levies, bond measures, or strategic initiatives, that piece of the picture remains incomplete. A parent seeking insight into upcoming funding decisions or program changes at the district level would need to look directly at North Thurston Public Schools communications.

For a family weighing this school, the academic picture is one of a solid but not top-tier elementary school within a large suburban district. The ELA results are a relative strength, while math is an area where a parent may want to understand the school's approach and the support available for students who are not yet meeting the proficiency benchmark. The school's diversity is a plain fact of its composition, something some families will see as a strength and others will simply note as part of the environment. The setting is fully suburban and car-dependent, with the amenities of a growing city nearby but not a walkable downtown scene.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 352%

School 52% · District 37% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 444%

School 44% · District 47% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 546%

School 46% · District 38% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 352%

School 52% · District 37% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 459%

School 59% · District 49% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 561%

School 61% · District 53% · ▲ 8 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 555%

School 55% · District 52% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median · even with county median

This schoolNorth Thurston Public Schools, 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-income40%Higher-income61%21 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income47%Higher-income70%23 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income43%Higher-income76%32 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income31%Higher-income67%36 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income42%Higher-income46%4 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income18%Higher-income71%52 pp gap