Catharine Blaine K-8 School, Seattle WA

Original Research by School Decision on Catharine Blaine K-8 School

Catharine Blaine K-8 School sits in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood, a residential area on a hill overlooking Puget Sound. It is a regular public school within Seattle Public Schools, serving kindergarten through eighth grade in a single building. The school’s enrollment is moderate for a K-8, and its student body is predominantly white, with Asian students and students of two or more races forming the next largest groups; smaller shares of Hispanic and Black students attend as well. A small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the relatively high-income character of the surrounding neighborhood. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the records provided.

On state assessments from the 2024-25 school year, Catharine Blaine’s students performed at a high level. In both math and English language arts, a strong majority of students scored at or above grade-level expectations in every tested grade, with several grades reaching very high proficiency rates. Science results, available in grades five and eight, also showed strong performance. Overall, the school’s combined proficiency across tested subjects and grades placed it in the top quartile relative to districts in King County. Because only one year of assessment data was reported, no trend in student achievement over time could be determined.

The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to consider. Information on chronic absenteeism, discipline, course access, and staffing was not available in the data. These are gaps a parent may want to explore directly with the school.

Catharine Blaine is part of the much larger Seattle School District No. 1, which has been navigating enrollment declines and a projected budget shortfall in recent years. Publicly reported, the district approved a major capital levy in 2022 for school construction, renovation, and technology upgrades, a measure that continues to shape school facilities and local property taxes. Meanwhile, the district’s budget pressures have led to proposals for school closures and program reductions, though the specific impact on any one school is not detailed in the data.

The housing market in the school’s zip code is expensive, consistent with Seattle’s broader trends of high home values and rising rents. The area is served by Seattle’s bus system and is a short drive from downtown, making it feasible for families who work in the city center. Seattle’s economy is anchored by major technology and aerospace employers, and the city has seen sustained population growth, though the school district’s enrollment has not kept pace.

For families seeking a K-8 pathway with consistently strong academic results in a well-established Seattle neighborhood, Catharine Blaine represents a high-performing option. The school’s peer environment is shaped by its relatively low share of students from low-income households, and its location in Magnolia offers a quieter residential setting within the larger urban fabric. The absence of program offerings data means a parent should verify what enrichment, arts, or elective opportunities are available, particularly at the middle school level where those options typically expand.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 385%

School 85% · District 67% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 491%

School 91% · District 64% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 43 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

Grade 586%

School 86% · District 48% · ▲ 38 pts above district

▲ 45 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

Grade 675%

School 75% · District 60% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Grade 775%

School 75% · District 56% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 871%

School 71% · District 54% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 385%

School 85% · District 31% · ▲ 55 pts above district

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Grade 478%

School 78% · District 64% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 592%

School 92% · District 24% · ▲ 68 pts above district

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Grade 677%

School 77% · District 67% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 783%

School 83% · District 38% · ▲ 45 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 878%

School 78% · District 66% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Science

Grade 584%

School 84% · District 32% · ▲ 52 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 875%

School 75% · District 60% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

This schoolSeattle School District No. 1, 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.