Is Lowell Elementary School a good school?

Lowell Elementary School ranks in the bottom 17.7% of Washington elementary schools.

How many students attend Lowell Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 382 students attended Lowell Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Lowell Elementary School?

Students at Lowell Elementary School are 36% African American, 19% Hispanic, 16% White, 13% Asian, 11% Two or more races, 4% Pacific Islander.

What schools do graduates of Lowell Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Lowell Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Edmonds S. Meany Middle School High : Garfield High School

Lowell Elementary School

Summary:

Lowell Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 331 students in grades PK-5 in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle School District No. 1. The school's diverse student population is 19.34% White, 29.31% African American, 20.24% Hispanic, 12.08% Asian, and 13.29% two or more races.

Despite its low student-teacher ratio of 11.5 students per teacher and high per-student spending of $27,921, Lowell Elementary consistently underperforms academically compared to the district and state averages. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 29.3% of Lowell students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, and just 34.38% were proficient or better in math, significantly lower than the district and state averages. The school's high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 69.79% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, may contribute to these academic challenges.

When compared to nearby schools in the Seattle School District, such as Madrona K-5 School, John Hay Elementary, and Queen Anne Elementary, Lowell Elementary consistently underperforms, suggesting that the school's challenges may be unique to its specific context and student population. The school's fluctuating statewide ranking, ranging from 583rd out of 1,107 Washington elementary schools in 2020-2021 to 720th out of 1,169 in 2022-2023, further indicates that the school may need to address systemic barriers and inequities to support the success of all its students.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1058 E Mercer St
Seattle, WA 98102-5032

(206) 252-3020

District: Seattle School District No. 1

SchoolDigger Rank:
961^st of 1,168 Washington Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $27,921

Students who attend Lowell Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Edmonds S. Meany Middle School
High:	Garfield High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.4

Number of students: 382

Racial breakdown:

African American:

36.1%

Hispanic:

19.4%

White:

15.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 76.4%

See top rated Washington elementary schools

Compare Lowell Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Lowell Elementary School ranks worse than 82.3% of elementary schools in Washington. It also ranks 67^th among 71 ranked elementary schools in the Seattle School District No. 1. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 20.51. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Lowell Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (36.1%), Hispanic (19.4%), White (15.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 76.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Lowell Elementary School is 11.4, which is the 7^th best among 71 elementary schools in the Seattle School District No. 1. (See more...)

Compare Lowell Elementary School employs 33.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Lowell Elementary School is $27,921, which is the 11^th highest among 71 elementary schools in the Seattle School District No. 1.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Lowell Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Lowell Elementary School 961^st of 1168 Washington public elementary schools. (See Lowell Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Seattle School District No. 1:

SchoolDigger ranks Seattle School District No. 1 48^th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Lowell Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Lowell Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	97.75	5^th	1026	99.5%
2005	98.06	1^st	1031	99.9%
2006	97.77	2^nd	1051	99.8%
2007	97.91	2^nd	1069	99.8%
2008	97.91	2^nd	1067	99.8%
2009	96.69	4^th	1072	99.6%
2010	93.28	26^th	1088	97.6%
2011	93.31	28^th	1092	97.4%
2012	91.58	41^st	1097	96.3%
2013	16.55	1000^th	1106	9.6%
2015	15.72	944^th	1067	11.5%
2016	25.74	827^th	1053	21.5%
2017	13.18	958^th	1056	9.3%
2018	10.09	994^th	1054	5.7%
2019	43.10	661^st	1130	41.5%
2021	43.45	583^rd	1107	47.3%
2022	26.56	870^th	1169	25.6%
2023	37.87	720^th	1169	38.4%
2024	20.51	961^st	1168	17.7%

See the entire list of Washington Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Lowell Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	77.58	39^th	254	84.6%
2024	50.01	137^th	320	57.2%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Lowell Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	17.21	774^th	835	7.3%
2019	66.68	262^nd	979	73.2%
2021	49.50	387^th	854	54.7%
2022	35.05	699^th	1019	31.4%
2023	47.30	534^th	1013	47.3%
2024	27.33	802^nd	1024	21.7%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at Lowell Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	44.95	8^th	14	42.9%

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

Rank History for Female students at Lowell Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	12.36	926^th	1004	7.8%
2019	45.56	618^th	1068	42.1%
2021	35.61	624^th	1008	38.1%
2022	26.38	830^th	1100	24.5%
2023	38.80	657^th	1094	39.9%
2024	16.55	956^th	1093	12.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Lowell Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	9.85	944^th	999	5.5%
2019	45.16	607^th	1075	43.5%
2021	45.02	531^st	1025	48.2%
2022	21.14	906^th	1113	18.6%
2023	31.46	766^th	1099	30.3%
2024	22.49	886^th	1099	19.4%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Lowell Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	6.15	163^rd	169	3.6%
2019	20.49	172^nd	201	14.4%

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

Rank History for African American students at Lowell Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	34.47	82^nd	107	23.4%
2019	34.17	79^th	110	28.2%
2021	40.44	22^nd	47	53.2%
2022	41.33	55^th	108	49.1%
2023	39.08	41^st	66	37.9%

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

Rank History for White students at Lowell Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2021	75.40	205^th	943	78.3%
2022	49.10	518^th	1031	49.8%
2023	78.06	213^th	1011	78.9%
2024	37.62	652^nd	1009	35.4%

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: 3)

50%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, July 25, 2011

Used to be a good school. Now its sad, violence and swearing in the class. Discrimination. Physical and verbal attacks by students, things you hear of in high school not elementary. Even drugs. Very sad to see something that was so great fall so far. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Every child is valued at Lowell, and taught according to his/her abilities. The principal, teachers, therapists, and aides are exceptional. The atmosphere at the school is warm and inclusive, and there is a real effort to promote diversity in every respect. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Lowell Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	91	139	101	24	14	n/a	n/a	0	369
1989	75	155	92	23	11	n/a	n/a	0	356
1990	86	133	27	13	3	n/a	n/a	0	262
1991	99	123	26	15	3	n/a	n/a	0	266
1992	77	104	29	14	4	n/a	n/a	0	228
1993	76	84	26	23	3	n/a	n/a	0	212
1994	62	105	42	31	3	n/a	n/a	0	243
1995	61	100	27	27	5	n/a	n/a	0	220
1996	61	100	27	27	5	n/a	n/a	0	220
1997	74	94	34	23	4	n/a	n/a	0	229
1998	295	39	59	24	6	n/a	n/a	0	423
1999	296	36	62	25	5	n/a	n/a	0	424
2000	259	41	74	17	9	n/a	n/a	0	400
2001	267	40	78	15	6	n/a	n/a	0	406
2002	305	39	110	20	5	n/a	n/a	0	479
2003	305	39	110	20	5	n/a	n/a	0	479
2004	295	25	114	17	2	n/a	n/a	0	453
2005	357	25	106	18	6	n/a	n/a	0	512
2006	322	20	104	17	5	n/a	n/a	0	468
2007	361	19	121	25	3	n/a	n/a	0	529
2008	336	18	114	21	5	n/a	n/a	0	494
2009	386	22	110	20	5	n/a	n/a	0	543
2010	284	63	73	24	5	n/a	n/a	0	449
2011	351	63	72	34	2	0	39	0	561
2012	392	61	87	35	2	0	55	0	632
2013	68	64	27	23	1	0	21	0	204
2014	75	62	33	15	2	0	24	0	211
2015	105	83	35	23	3	1	36	0	286
2016	93	95	53	36	7	4	45	0	333
2017	93	96	74	35	3	3	40	0	344
2018	86	101	76	45	1	9	52	0	370
2019	64	75	62	40	2	3	40	0	286
2020	64	84	53	42	2	2	47	1	295
2021	59	83	48	43	1	2	41	1	278
2022	67	77	43	48	3	6	37	4	285
2023	64	97	40	67	4	9	44	6	331
2024	60	138	49	74	3	14	42	2	382

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 Lowell Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	369	26.0	14.1	0
1989	356	30.0	11.8	n/a
1990	262	22.2	11.8	0
1991	266	20.9	12.7	n/a
1992	228	21.0	10.8	n/a
1993	212	20.0	10.6	n/a
1994	243	21.4	11.4	n/a
1995	220	16.5	13.3	n/a
1996	220	16.5	13.3	n/a
1997	229	16.0	14.3	n/a
1998	423	21.0	20.1	n/a
1999	424	21.0	20.2	n/a
2000	400	21.0	19.0	n/a
2001	406	23.0	17.7	n/a
2002	479	25.8	18.6	9.2
2003	479	25.8	18.6	9.2
2004	453	26.0	17.4	9.5
2005	512	26.5	19.3	7
2006	468	30.3	15.4	7.5
2007	529	29.9	17.7	7
2008	494	30.9	16.0	7.3
2009	543	30.4	17.9	7
2010	449	27.5	16.3	20.5
2011	561	29.3	19.1	16.4
2012	632	37.1	17.0	17.4
2013	204	16.8	12.1	47.1
2014	211	n/a	n/a	53.6
2015	286	24.0	11.9	45.5
2016	333	25.0	13.3	43.2
2017	344	28.3	12.1	57.6
2018	370	28.1	13.1	63.5
2019	286	29.8	9.5	64.3
2020	295	28.5	10.3	58.3
2021	278	31.5	8.8	59.7
2022	285	28.9	9.8	50.2
2023	331	28.6	11.5	69.8
2024	382	33.4	11.4	76.4

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 Lowell Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	369	26.0	14.1	0
1989	356	30.0	11.8	n/a
1990	262	22.2	11.8	0
1991	266	20.9	12.7	n/a
1992	228	21.0	10.8	n/a
1993	212	20.0	10.6	n/a
1994	243	21.4	11.4	n/a
1995	220	16.5	13.3	n/a
1996	220	16.5	13.3	n/a
1997	229	16.0	14.3	n/a
1998	423	21.0	20.1	n/a
1999	424	21.0	20.2	n/a
2000	400	21.0	19.0	n/a
2001	406	23.0	17.7	n/a
2002	479	25.8	18.6	9.2
2003	479	25.8	18.6	9.2
2004	453	26.0	17.4	9.5
2005	512	26.5	19.3	7
2006	468	30.3	15.4	7.5
2007	529	29.9	17.7	7
2008	494	30.9	16.0	7.3
2009	543	30.4	17.9	7
2010	449	27.5	16.3	20.5
2011	561	29.3	19.1	16.4
2012	632	37.1	17.0	17.4
2013	204	16.8	12.1	47.1
2014	211	n/a	n/a	53.6
2015	286	24.0	11.9	45.5
2016	333	25.0	13.3	43.2
2017	344	28.3	12.1	57.6
2018	370	28.1	13.1	63.5
2019	286	29.8	9.5	64.3
2020	295	28.5	10.3	58.3
2021	278	31.5	8.8	59.7
2022	285	28.9	9.8	50.2
2023	331	28.6	11.5	69.8
2024	382	33.4	11.4	76.4

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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