Bryn Mawr Elementary School, Seattle WA

Original Research by School Decision on Bryn Mawr Elementary School

Bryn Mawr Elementary School, part of the Renton School District, sits in the southeast corner of the Seattle city limits, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. This is a regular public school in a tech-anchored, fast-growing metropolitan region. The school itself is a mid-sized elementary for its grade band, and its student body is notably diverse. No single ethnic group makes up a majority. Hispanic students represent the largest share of enrollment, followed by Black and Asian students, with a smaller number of White students and students of two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker that a large segment of the community draws on federal meal assistance.

State testing results from the most recent school year provide the clearest academic picture available. On the Washington state assessments, proficiency rates in both math and English language arts sit below the midpoint compared with other schools in the Renton School District’s county. The school’s overall test performance across all subjects and grades places it in the bottom quarter among the county’s school districts, a group that includes many of the Seattle region’s highest-performing suburban systems. In math, proficiency in third grade is roughly in the mid-forties, while fourth- and fifth-grade rates trail well behind. In English language arts, rates across grades three, four, and five are each roughly in the low to mid-thirties. Science performance for fifth graders, the only grade tested in that subject, is also below what many families would look for. A parent evaluating this school on state test metrics will see consistent softness across subjects and grade levels, and may want to ask the school directly about its academic improvement plans and interventions.

The school’s address is on South 118th Street in Seattle, but the community feels as much connected to the adjacent city of Renton as to downtown Seattle. The area is residential, set away from the intense commercial core of the city. Families living near the school are part of a housing market where a typical home value in the ZIP code is in the middle to upper six figures, and a typical monthly rent is comparably high, reflecting the broader King County market. The country’s inventory of homes for sale in the area has increased recently, and median listing prices have dipped slightly year-over-year, which could affect affordability for incoming families.

The Renton School District itself has been through some notable recent changes that affect Bryn Mawr. Voters approved a bond measure to fund construction and renovation projects across the district, including work at several high schools and the construction of a new elementary in the Fairwood area. That new school is set to open in the fall of a coming year and could shift attendance boundaries. The district has also reorganized its high school experience around career-interest-themed academies, first launched at one high school and now spreading district-wide. While these changes do not directly affect the elementary program, they signal a district-level shift toward career-connected learning that begins in secondary school. A new elementary school had opened in the district in a recent year, reflecting population growth and capacity needs in the area.

No data was available for chronic absenteeism or for the share of students receiving special education or English learner services. A parent considering Bryn Mawr may want to ask the school directly about these supports. No program offerings list was available either, so details on enrichment or special curricula, if any, are not part of this account.

This is a school where the student body is racially and economically diverse, set in a high-cost metro area, and where state test results are lower than those of many neighboring districts. The district is investing in facilities and high school redesign. For a family weighing this option, the academic numbers are the main watch item.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 347%

School 47% · District 51% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 48% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 522%

School 22% · District 46% · ▼ 24 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 335%

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

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 47% · ▼ 15 pts below district

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

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 49% · ▼ 16 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 528%

School 28% · District 47% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 33 pts below county median

This schoolRenton 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-income30%Higher-income44%14 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income23%Higher-income47%25 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income28%Higher-income50%23 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income46%Higher-income48%2 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income20%Higher-income53%33 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income15%Higher-income43%28 pp gap