The top reported proficiency rate is 86% in Math. The lowest is 83% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Fernwood Elementary
Fernwood Elementary serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Bothell, a predominantly suburban city that straddles the line between King and Snohomish counties. Bothell evolved from a logging and farming town into a bedroom community for Seattle commuters and, more recently, into a city where biotechnology and high-tech companies anchor the local economy. Downtown has seen substantial residential densification since the 2010s, and the Sammamish River Trail provides a non-motorized path through town. The University of Washington Bothell and Cascadia College share a permanent campus near downtown, adding a higher-education presence to the community.
Academically, Fernwood Elementary delivers results that place it in the top quartile of schools when measured against the broader set of districts in Snohomish County. The school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades stands well above the midpoint of that comparison group. In math, students in third, fourth, and fifth grade all perform at strong levels, with the pattern holding steady across each grade. English language arts results mirror that strength, with similarly high proficiency rates in third through fifth grade. Fifth graders also take the state science assessment, and their performance there is equally robust. Because this is an elementary school that does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and no data on chronic absenteeism or discipline measures were available in the data.
The student body is large for an elementary school. Demographically, the largest group by far is students of Asian background, who make up a substantial majority. The next largest group is White students, followed by smaller shares of students who identify as two or more races, Hispanic, and Black. A very small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is an indicator that the school serves a relatively affluent population. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners were not reported, so it is not possible to assess the school’s special education or language support context from the available information.
Bothell has experienced rapid population growth over recent decades, driven in part by the annexation of the Canyon Park area and the establishment of the UW Bothell campus. The city’s housing market reflects that growth. Median home values in the area are high, and rents are correspondingly elevated. The broader King County housing market shows a large number of active listings and a median listing price that is above the national benchmark. For families considering a move to the area, housing affordability is a significant factor.
Fernwood is part of the Northshore School District. A recent district-level change noted in publicly available sources is the opening of Ruby Bridges Elementary in fall 2021, which added capacity and shifted attendance boundaries for families in the northern part of the district. No other recent referendum or curriculum changes were identified in the research, so the narrative reflects only what was found. The district serves students across Bothell and neighboring communities, with school campuses distributed through residential neighborhoods rather than concentrated in a single center.
For a family evaluating Fernwood Elementary, the picture that emerges is of a school with consistently strong academic performance, a student population that is predominantly Asian with limited economic diversity, and a location in a fast-growing suburban city with a high cost of housing. The school does not have a magnet or charter designation and operates as a regular public school. Parents who value high test scores and a stable, affluent peer environment will find that profile here. Those concerned about socioeconomic diversity or looking for specific special education or English learner programming will need to look into those areas further with the school, as the available data does not speak to them.
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