The top reported proficiency rate is 25% in Math. The lowest is 24% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Barge-lincoln Elementary School
Barge-Lincoln Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in the Yakima School District. Locating the school at 219 E I Street places it within the city of Yakima, the central city and county seat of the Yakima Valley, a region known for its agricultural output, particularly apples, wine, and hops. The school itself is a regular public school, neither a charter nor a magnet institution.
The student body is predominantly Hispanic, which makes up the large majority of the enrolled students. White students form a small share of the population, with students identifying as two or more races and those identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native making up very small groups. The school’s enrollment is at an elementary school level, and a substantial majority of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic need among the families the school serves.
Barge-Lincoln does not serve high school grades, so a graduation rate is not applicable. State assessment data from the most recent school year provides a picture of academic performance in math, English language arts, and science. In math, the proficiency rates for third, fourth, and fifth grades fall below the district-wide and state-level averages that are commonly referenced. English language arts proficiency rates across those same grade levels are similarly lower than the district and state averages. Fifth-grade science proficiency also trails those comparisons. Taken together, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it below the midpoint relative to other districts in Yakima County. The data reflects a single year of results, so no trend direction is available.
Because the school does not report data on chronic absenteeism, this is a gap that a parent may want to look into further with the school or the district. Similarly, information on special education identification rates and the share of English learners is not present in the available data.
The Yakima School District as a whole received a state-level recognition in 2024 for its school board’s governance and programmatic improvements. These include the expansion of dual-language programs into nearly every elementary school, which would include Barge-Lincoln, and college-access initiatives at the high school level. While Barge-Lincoln is an elementary school and not directly involved in the college-access programs, the dual-language offerings are a stated district priority that may affect the school’s instructional approach.
Housing in the area is more affordable than the state average for Washington, with home values and rents at levels that are lower than the state as a whole. The area’s economy remains tied to agriculture, healthcare, and retail, and the city has experienced slight population growth in recent years.
For a family considering this school, the primary fact is the economic need among the student population and the academic performance, which in the most recent testing year was consistently below district and state averages across all three subjects and grade levels tested. The district’s focus on dual-language programming could be a relevant draw for families seeking that environment, though the school’s own implementation and results are not detailed in the available data. The school is located in a central city setting within a broader agricultural region, and the neighborhood offers lower housing costs relative to the wider state.
See more original research from School Decision →