Marie Curie Stem Elementary, Pasco WA

Original Research by School Decision on Marie Curie Stem Elementary

Marie Curie STEM Elementary, a regular public school in the Pasco School District serving third through fifth grade, is a school where a family's attention will be drawn to its academic challenges. The school’s name advertises a focus on science, technology, engineering, and math, yet its state test results present a picture that requires careful consideration. On the 2024-25 state assessments, the share of students meeting proficiency was modest in every subject and at every grade level tested, and in reading and math it fell to a very small share by fifth grade. Science results, which are tested in the fifth grade only, followed a similar pattern. The available multi-year data is limited to a single year, so it is not possible to see whether these results represent a trend or a starting point.

This academic context matters because the student body at Marie Curie carries a high level of need. A substantial share of the school’s students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. A large majority of the enrollment identifies as Hispanic, creating a tightly concentrated peer group. State data on the share of students who are English learners or receive special education services was not available, which is a notable gap for parents trying to understand the full support picture. The school is part of the Pasco School District, which has been under significant growth pressure. Publicly reported information shows the district opened a new comprehensive high school in 2025, launched a consolidated digital learning academy, and purchased land for a new elementary or middle school, all signs of a system managing rapid expansion in the West Pasco area.

The school is situated in Pasco, a fast-growing city in the Tri-Cities region. Pasco has one of the higher growth rates among Washington cities, with new housing tracts and commercial development concentrated on the west side. The city’s economy is rooted in agriculture and food processing, with major employers like Lamb Weston and BNSF Railway, along with the regionally significant Hanford nuclear site. The housing market in the school’s immediate area is more affordable than the state benchmark. Rents have been rising. The city has a car-oriented layout, bisected by major highways, though there is a farmers market and riverfront trail system downtown. Families moving to West Pasco for newer housing should note that the district has been responding to growth with new school construction, but boundary implications are a live question.

When measured against other school districts in Franklin County, Marie Curie Elementary’s overall proficiency results fall in the bottom quadrant. That comparison is a straightforward read of the available numbers. A parent looking at this school should want to learn more about what the STEM designation means in practice, how the school supports students who are not yet meeting grade-level standards, and what programs are in place for the large English learner population that, while not quantified in the available data, is implied by the demographic profile of the city and district. The school’s small size for the upper elementary grades, with a modest enrollment, could be a plus for families seeking a more contained environment, but the academic performance data suggests a serious conversation with the building principal about intervention and acceleration strategies is essential before enrolling.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 325%

School 25% · District 35% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 413%

School 13% · District 27% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 511%

School 11% · District 25% · ▼ 14 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 318%

School 18% · District 31% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 417%

School 17% · District 33% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 518%

School 18% · District 34% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Science

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 30% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

This schoolPasco 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-income17%Higher-income27%11 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income23%Higher-income46%23 pp gap