Is Sumas Elementary a good school?

Sumas Elementary ranks 684 th of 1168 Washington elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Sumas Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 281 students attended Sumas Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Sumas Elementary?

Students at Sumas Elementary are 62% White, 32% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Sumas Elementary attend?

Students who attend Sumas Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Nooksack Valley Middle School High : Nooksack Valley High School

Sumas Elementary

Summary:

Sumas Elementary is a public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in the Nooksack Valley School District, with a student population of 283 located in Sumas, WA. The school has seen a decline in its statewide ranking over the past several years, dropping from a high of 3 stars out of 5 in 2015-2016 to just 1 star out of 5 in the most recent 2022-2023 school year.

Sumas Elementary faces several challenges, including a high-needs student population with a significantly higher percentage of Hispanic students (32.86%) compared to the state average (22.7%), and a very high percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 51.62% to 67.49% over the past 3 years. The school's test scores on the SBAC and WCAS assessments lag behind both the Nooksack Valley School District and the state averages across most grade levels and subject areas, with only 44.14% of Sumas students proficient in ELA and Math in 2023-2024, compared to 52.63% and 41.68% statewide, respectively. Additionally, Sumas Elementary's rankings for specific student subgroups, such as Hispanic students, White students, and low-socioeconomic status students, are all in the bottom half of Washington elementary schools, suggesting achievement gaps exist within the school.

While Sumas Elementary has seen a significant increase in per-student spending over the past few years, from $11,975 in 2019-2020 to $21,566 in 2021-2022, this increased funding has not yet translated to improved academic outcomes. However, the school's performance with homeless students is commendable, as it ranked 1st out of 14 Washington elementary schools for its performance with this subgroup in 2021-2022. When comparing Sumas Elementary to other nearby schools, such as Nooksack Elementary and Isom Elementary, it becomes clear that Sumas is underperforming, with significantly higher test scores and statewide rankings at these neighboring schools.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1024 Lawson Street
Sumas, WA 98295

(360) 988-9423

District: Nooksack Valley School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
684^th of 1,168 Washington Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $21,566

Students who attend Sumas Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Nooksack Valley Middle School
High:	Nooksack Valley High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.6

Number of students: 281

Racial breakdown:

White:

62.3%

Hispanic:

32.0%

Two or more races:

3.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 61.6%

See top rated Washington elementary schools

Compare Sumas Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sumas Elementary ranks worse than 58.6% of elementary schools in Washington. It also ranks 2^nd among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Nooksack Valley School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 39.41. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (62.3%), Hispanic (32%), two or more races (3.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 61.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Nooksack Valley School District. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sumas Elementary is 13.6, which is the lowest among 4 elementary schools in the Nooksack Valley School District! (See more...)

Compare Sumas Elementary employs 20.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sumas Elementary is $21,566, which is the 2^nd highest among 3 elementary schools in the Nooksack Valley School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sumas Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Sumas Elementary 684^th of 1168 Washington public elementary schools. (See Sumas Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Nooksack Valley School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Nooksack Valley School District 99^th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Sumas Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Sumas Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	58.69	408^th	1026	60.2%
2005	67.62	310^th	1031	69.9%
2006	65.77	322^nd	1051	69.4%
2007	63.08	395^th	1069	63.0%
2008	50.95	559^th	1067	47.6%
2009	56.03	470^th	1072	56.2%
2010	87.81	84^th	1088	92.3%
2011	82.32	133^rd	1092	87.8%
2012	77.22	202^nd	1097	81.6%
2013	63.25	415^th	1106	62.5%
2015	62.32	376^th	1067	64.8%
2016	54.88	481^st	1053	54.3%
2017	47.76	564^th	1056	46.6%
2018	63.75	383^rd	1054	63.7%
2019	67.12	367^th	1130	67.5%
2021	32.09	725^th	1107	34.5%
2022	41.99	655^th	1169	44.0%
2023	27.96	854^th	1169	26.9%
2024	39.41	684^th	1168	41.4%

See the entire list of Washington Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sumas Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	63.48	261^st	835	68.7%
2019	75.11	144^th	979	85.3%
2021	49.65	384^th	854	55.0%
2022	58.85	348^th	1019	65.8%
2023	35.37	697^th	1013	31.2%
2024	45.52	573^rd	1024	44.0%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Sumas Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	95.43	1^st	14	92.9%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Sumas Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	47.03	555^th	1004	44.7%
2019	51.77	540^th	1068	49.4%
2021	37.28	604^th	1008	40.1%
2022	22.31	898^th	1100	18.4%
2023	27.24	829^th	1094	24.2%
2024	36.62	689^th	1093	37.0%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Sumas Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	69.90	296^th	999	70.4%
2019	77.34	222^nd	1075	79.3%
2021	26.33	755^th	1025	26.3%
2022	57.16	436^th	1113	60.8%
2023	34.40	719^th	1099	34.6%
2024	48.50	542^nd	1099	50.7%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sumas Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	60.89	235^th	697	66.3%
2021	54.46	160^th	501	68.1%
2022	45.29	345^th	694	50.3%
2023	47.72	330^th	633	47.9%
2024	45.39	361^st	651	44.5%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Sumas Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	70.50	245^th	833	70.6%
2019	75.11	242^nd	1027	76.4%
2021	19.23	804^th	943	14.7%
2022	37.26	668^th	1031	35.2%
2023	28.67	778^th	1011	23.0%
2024	41.11	612^th	1009	39.3%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Sumas Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	276	0	6	18	32	n/a	n/a	0	332
1989	289	3	8	20	36	n/a	n/a	0	356
1990	306	2	6	30	36	n/a	n/a	0	380
1991	327	2	7	33	32	n/a	n/a	0	401
1992	319	1	3	35	26	n/a	n/a	0	384
1993	326	1	7	31	33	n/a	n/a	0	398
1994	224	1	5	20	9	n/a	n/a	0	259
1995	268	1	8	23	10	n/a	n/a	0	310
1996	268	1	8	23	10	n/a	n/a	0	310
1997	259	0	4	27	10	n/a	n/a	0	300
1998	243	3	4	24	9	n/a	n/a	0	283
1999	236	3	5	26	4	n/a	n/a	0	274
2000	204	4	1	26	6	n/a	n/a	0	241
2001	199	4	1	19	7	n/a	n/a	0	230
2002	159	2	4	28	6	n/a	n/a	0	199
2003	159	2	4	28	6	n/a	n/a	0	199
2004	141	3	5	28	3	n/a	n/a	0	180
2005	135	3	3	34	5	n/a	n/a	0	180
2006	149	4	3	38	5	n/a	n/a	0	199
2007	133	4	5	31	0	n/a	n/a	0	173
2008	152	0	8	37	1	n/a	n/a	1	199
2009	143	1	9	38	3	n/a	n/a	0	194
2010	146	1	9	39	2	n/a	n/a	1	198
2011	152	1	2	49	5	0	4	0	213
2012	141	1	2	61	4	0	6	0	215
2013	133	0	2	63	4	0	7	0	209
2014	133	0	1	58	4	0	8	0	204
2015	125	2	1	54	4	0	7	0	193
2016	128	2	1	75	4	0	14	0	224
2017	149	2	0	86	6	0	13	0	256
2018	152	4	4	82	9	0	15	0	266
2019	161	2	2	91	8	0	13	0	277
2020	181	3	2	93	5	1	21	0	306
2021	164	2	2	91	5	2	18	0	284
2022	158	4	3	87	4	1	20	0	277
2023	171	3	1	93	1	1	13	0	283
2024	175	2	1	90	1	1	11	0	281

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Sumas Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	332	11.0	30.1	0
1989	356	15.0	23.7	n/a
1990	380	17.0	22.3	0
1991	401	19.0	21.1	n/a
1992	384	19.1	20.1	n/a
1993	398	18.1	22.0	n/a
1994	259	14.4	18.0	n/a
1995	310	19.0	16.3	n/a
1996	310	19.0	16.3	n/a
1997	300	19.5	15.4	n/a
1998	283	15.5	18.3	n/a
1999	274	16.2	16.9	n/a
2000	241	13.2	18.3	n/a
2001	230	13.8	16.7	n/a
2002	199	12.8	15.5	46.7
2003	199	12.8	15.5	46.7
2004	180	12.0	15.0	52.8
2005	180	11.9	15.1	52.8
2006	199	10.9	18.3	64.8
2007	173	10.0	17.3	69.9
2008	199	11.9	16.7	69.2
2009	194	11.9	16.3	58.2
2010	198	12.6	15.6	58.9
2011	213	12.1	17.4	49.3
2012	215	11.8	18.1	58.6
2013	209	12.1	17.2	58.9
2014	204	n/a	n/a	54.4
2015	193	16.0	12.0	62.2
2016	224	15.0	14.9	62.1
2017	256	17.5	14.6	61.3
2018	266	19.7	13.5	53
2019	277	20.5	13.4	58.5
2020	306	22.6	13.5	57.8
2021	284	21.2	13.3	53.2
2022	277	20.9	13.2	51.6
2023	283	19.7	14.3	67.5
2024	281	20.5	13.6	61.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Sumas Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	332	11.0	30.1	0
1989	356	15.0	23.7	n/a
1990	380	17.0	22.3	0
1991	401	19.0	21.1	n/a
1992	384	19.1	20.1	n/a
1993	398	18.1	22.0	n/a
1994	259	14.4	18.0	n/a
1995	310	19.0	16.3	n/a
1996	310	19.0	16.3	n/a
1997	300	19.5	15.4	n/a
1998	283	15.5	18.3	n/a
1999	274	16.2	16.9	n/a
2000	241	13.2	18.3	n/a
2001	230	13.8	16.7	n/a
2002	199	12.8	15.5	46.7
2003	199	12.8	15.5	46.7
2004	180	12.0	15.0	52.8
2005	180	11.9	15.1	52.8
2006	199	10.9	18.3	64.8
2007	173	10.0	17.3	69.9
2008	199	11.9	16.7	69.2
2009	194	11.9	16.3	58.2
2010	198	12.6	15.6	58.9
2011	213	12.1	17.4	49.3
2012	215	11.8	18.1	58.6
2013	209	12.1	17.2	58.9
2014	204	n/a	n/a	54.4
2015	193	16.0	12.0	62.2
2016	224	15.0	14.9	62.1
2017	256	17.5	14.6	61.3
2018	266	19.7	13.5	53
2019	277	20.5	13.4	58.5
2020	306	22.6	13.5	57.8
2021	284	21.2	13.3	53.2
2022	277	20.9	13.2	51.6
2023	283	19.7	14.3	67.5
2024	281	20.5	13.6	61.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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