The top reported proficiency rate is 64% in Science. The lowest is 54% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Cedarhome Elementary School
Cedarhome Elementary is a regular public school in Stanwood, serving kindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Stanwood-Camano School District. The enrollment is moderate for an elementary school, and the student body is predominantly White, with a Hispanic population that is the next largest group, followed by students who identify as two or more races. Just over a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
The most recent state assessment results, from the spring of 2025, offer a picture of broadly solid academic performance. In English language arts, the share of students meeting the state standard climbed steadily across grade levels, from grade 3 to grade 5, where it reached a clear strength. Math results were more level across grades, with slight variation, and the grade 3 result was the highest of the three. In science, which is tested only in grade 5, students posted a result that was the strongest of any subject for that grade. When all tested subjects and grades are combined into a single measure of proficiency, Cedarhome sits in the top quartile relative to other districts in Snohomish County. This is a strong showing for the school, indicating that its academic core is performing well against a wide set of peers. Because only one year of comparable assessment data was available for this school, it is not yet possible to identify a trend direction.
Stanwood itself is a community in transition. It functions primarily as a bedroom community for Seattle and Everett, a shift that accelerated in the 1990s as uphill areas were annexed and developed into suburban subdivisions. The historic downtown sits along the Stillaguamish River, much of it in a flood zone, which has led to the relocation of some civic buildings uphill and long-term plans to move city hall out of the floodplain. The population has grown rapidly since the 2020 census. A flood control project, begun in 2020 and spanning multiple phases, is underway. The closure of the Twin City Foods processing plant removed what had been a major industrial employer, and the largest employers now are the school district and a senior home. The community retains elements of its small-town character and Scandinavian heritage, with a train station connecting the city to Seattle and Vancouver, BC.
The district brief turned up no recent parent-relevant changes such as a referendum, curriculum overhaul, or property tax shift. For a family considering Cedarhome, the available data does not point to any active district-level disruption.
This is an elementary school with no testable grade beyond fifth, so there is no graduation rate. Data on chronic absenteeism and special-population counts was not available. A parent who wants to understand how the school serves students with disabilities or English learners would need to ask the school directly. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and Title I status was not reported.
Housing in the Stanwood area reflects the broader pressures of the Seattle commuter shed. Home values are notably higher than the Washington state median. Rents are similarly elevated. The gap between a typical monthly mortgage payment and median rent suggests that buying is significantly more expensive than renting at current rates. For a family moving into the area, this is a market where affordability is a real consideration. The national-level unemployment rate was stable, and real median household income nationally held steady, but these figures are not a direct read on Stanwood itself.
What Cedarhome offers is consistent, above-average academic performance for its grade band in a fast-growing suburban community with a small-town core. The strength in literacy by the upper elementary grades is a concrete takeaway for a parent comparing schools. The school's size is manageable, and its demographic profile is less diverse than the county overall, which is a characteristic a family would weigh based on their own priorities. The main open question for a family would be the details of special programs, class sizes, and school culture, none of which are captured in the administrative data here. The district itself appears to be operating without notable recent upheavals, which, for many families, is itself a useful point of stability.
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