Robertson Elementary, Yakima WA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Robertson Elementary

Robertson Elementary is a regular public school in Yakima, Washington, within the Yakima School District. It serves students from kindergarten through fifth grade. The enrollment is moderately sized for an elementary school serving that grade span.

The student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino, with a smaller white population and very small groups of students identifying with other racial and ethnic categories. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on the share of students with an individualized education program (IEP) or who are identified as English learners was not available, so a family interested in those programs would want to inquire with the school directly.

On the most recent state assessments, student proficiency in math, English language arts, and science all fell below the midpoint when compared across elementary schools in Yakima County. In English language arts, proficiency rates were in the low three-tenths range across grades three, four, and five, with very little variation by grade. Math results were more uneven. Proficiency in third grade was notably higher, reaching into the low forties percent, but dropped sharply in fourth and fifth grade to around the high teens percent. Fifth grade science results were broadly similar to the fourth and fifth grade math figures, with about a quarter of students reaching proficiency. Because these results represent a single year of data, no trend direction can be established yet.

The school operates as part of the Yakima School District, which has drawn attention for recent governance and programmatic improvements. The school board was recognized statewide as the Large District School Board of the Year, and the district has expanded dual-language programs into nearly every elementary school, including, a family would want to confirm, potentially Robertson. The district also runs college-access initiatives that allow high school students to earn an associate’s degree before graduation, though that is relevant for the feeder high schools rather than the elementary level itself.

Yakima is the central city and county seat of Yakima County, blending urban civic functions with its role as a hub for a highly productive agricultural region known for apples, wine, and hops. The broader city includes unincorporated suburban areas like West Valley and Terrace Heights. Street life is centered on Downtown Yakima, which hosts events such as the Fresh Hop Ale Festival, while outdoor recreation is available on the Yakima Greenway, a system of paved paths and parks along the rivers. Population has grown slightly in recent years, and the economy is shaped by agriculture, healthcare, and retail.

Housing in the area is priced well below the statewide median, and the rent-to-income ratio suggests a market that is relatively accessible for renters. The local unemployment rate has been steady around the national average.

For a family considering Robertson Elementary, the profile is of a school where the majority of students come from low-income backgrounds and where the student population reflects the larger Hispanic community of the region. The academic results on state tests are below the county median, and while third grade math was a relative bright spot, performance in later grades and across reading and science indicate areas the school is likely working to address. The district-level momentum around dual-language programs could be a relevant consideration, but it is not clear from available data how widely or in what form those programs have reached Robertson specifically. This is a school where talking directly to the principal or visiting the building would be valuable to understand current program offerings and support structures.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 343%

School 43% · District 38% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Grade 420%

School 20% · District 58% · ▼ 39 pts below district

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

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 23% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 334%

School 34% · District 23% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 433%

School 33% · District 29% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 17 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 34% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Science

Grade 526%

School 26% · District 27%

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

This schoolYakima 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-income32%Higher-income46%14 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income26%Higher-income60%34 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income26%Higher-income64%39 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income44%Higher-income39%5 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income15%Higher-income40%26 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income15%Higher-income36%20 pp gap