Summitview Elementary, Yakima WA

Original Research by School Decision on Summitview Elementary

Summitview Elementary is a regular public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in the West Valley School District, located on the western edge of Yakima. The school draws from a mix of neighborhoods, with an enrollment that is roughly evenly split between Hispanic and White students and a small proportion of students identifying with other racial groups. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, reflecting the economic diversity of the families it serves. This is a school where a considerable number of children come from lower-income households, and the peer environment is one of noticeable economic variation.

Academically, Summitview performs above the typical level for elementary schools in Yakima County when you look across all tested subjects and grades. That overall position is a strength, but the pattern across grade levels is uneven, and a parent considering this school will want to look more closely. Third graders show solid results in math, but by fourth grade the share of students meeting the state standard drops noticeably, and by fifth grade it falls further to a level that many families would find concerning. English language arts results are more stable across the grades, though still short of a majority proficient. Fifth-grade science results are in a similar moderate range. The steep decline in math as students move through the school is the most notable academic soft spot here, and it is worth asking the school directly about what instruction and supports are in place for upper-grade students.

Because this is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate to report, and data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing, and special populations such as students with disabilities or English learners were not available in the source information. Those are gaps a parent would want to fill by talking with the school or the district.

The surrounding housing market in the school’s zip code is more affordable than the Washington state average, with typical home values below the state median. Rents are also lower relative to statewide benchmarks, making this a relatively accessible area for families buying or renting. The broader Yakima economy is rooted in agriculture, particularly fruit and hop production, and the city has experienced slight population growth in recent years. The school sits in a suburban part of the greater Yakima area, with access to the Yakima Greenway system of parks and trails and downtown amenities such as festivals and the state fair.

The West Valley School District has been making changes that could affect Summitview families. A new secondary school, the West Valley Innovation Center, opened in 2021 with a project-based learning model, giving students in grades 7–12 an alternative to the traditional high school path. The district also placed a construction bond on the ballot in early 2024 to fund a new elementary school and security upgrades; whether the measure passed was not confirmed in publicly available sources, but the proposal itself signals that the district sees a need for additional capacity and facility improvements. That could mean eventual boundary shifts or new options for Summitview families.

Summitview Elementary offers a relatively strong academic starting point compared with other schools in the county, particularly in the early grades, and sits in a community with more affordable housing than much of Washington. The slide in math proficiency by fifth grade is a real concern, and the missing data on attendance and student support programs leaves questions unanswered. A parent who values a diverse, mixed-income setting and wants to investigate the math trajectory and district plans would find this school worth a closer look.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 360%

School 60% · District 64% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 443%

School 43% · District 58% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 48% · ▼ 23 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 344%

School 44% · District 58% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 444%

School 44% · District 57% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 65% · ▼ 16 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 544%

School 44% · District 59% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

This schoolWest Valley School District (Yakima), 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-income41%Higher-income48%7 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income36%Higher-income63%26 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income43%Higher-income64%21 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income53%Higher-income71%18 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income35%Higher-income63%28 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income19%Higher-income39%21 pp gap