Is Lowell Elementary School a good school?

Lowell Elementary School ranks 124 th of 1168 Washington elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Lowell Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 333 students attended Lowell Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Lowell Elementary School?

Students at Lowell Elementary School are 62% White, 17% Two or more races, 14% Hispanic, 4% Asian, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of Lowell Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Lowell Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Hilltop Heritage Middle School High : Stadium High School

Lowell Elementary School

Summary:

Lowell Elementary School is a high-performing public elementary school in Tacoma, Washington, serving 319 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in the state, with students significantly outperforming their peers in the Tacoma School District and the state of Washington in standardized test scores for English Language Arts and Math.

Lowell Elementary School's academic excellence is evident across all grade levels, with particularly strong performance in 5th-grade ELA and Science. The school's diverse student population, including a significant percentage of students from minority backgrounds and low socioeconomic status, demonstrates the school's ability to support the academic success of all its students. This is a notable achievement, as Lowell's low-SES students rank in the top 1% of Washington elementary schools.

The school's success can be attributed to its well-resourced environment, with a relatively high per-student spending and a lower student-teacher ratio compared to the district average. This suggests that Lowell Elementary School effectively utilizes its resources to support student learning, making it a model for other schools to emulate. Nearby schools like Stanley Elementary School, Sherman Elementary School, and Downing Elementary School may benefit from studying Lowell's best practices to improve their own academic outcomes.

Detail:

Public K-5

810 Mr. Dahl DR
Tacoma, WA 98403

(253) 571-7200

District: Tacoma School District

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,585

Students who attend Lowell Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Hilltop Heritage Middle School
High:	Stadium High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.3

Number of students: 333

Racial breakdown:

White:

62.2%

Two or more races:

17.4%

Hispanic:

13.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 30.3%

See top rated Washington elementary schools

Compare Lowell Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Lowell Elementary School ranks better than 89.4% of elementary schools in Washington. It also ranks 3^rd among 35 ranked elementary schools in the Tacoma School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 88.94. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Lowell Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (62.2%), two or more races (17.4%), Hispanic (13.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 30.3% 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 16.3, which is the 17^th best among 35 elementary schools in the Tacoma School District. (See more...)

Compare Lowell Elementary School employs 20.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Lowell Elementary School is $18,585. 32 elementary schools in the Tacoma School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Lowell Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Lowell Elementary School 124^th of 1168 Washington public elementary schools. (See Lowell Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Tacoma School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Tacoma School District 152^nd 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	72.38	233^rd	1026	77.3%
2005	84.74	118^th	1031	88.6%
2006	72.77	235^th	1051	77.6%
2007	73.54	226^th	1069	78.9%
2008	77.86	172^nd	1067	83.9%
2009	79.23	159^th	1072	85.2%
2010	82.87	127^th	1088	88.3%
2011	84.22	119^th	1092	89.1%
2012	79.01	171^st	1097	84.4%
2013	85.70	99^th	1106	91.0%
2015	89.92	86^th	1067	91.9%
2016	89.85	86^th	1053	91.8%
2017	88.08	106^th	1056	90.0%
2018	92.58	57^th	1054	94.6%
2019	94.48	35^th	1130	96.9%
2021	89.09	119^th	1107	89.3%
2022	95.66	38^th	1169	96.7%
2023	88.11	130^th	1169	88.9%
2024	88.94	124^th	1168	89.4%

See the entire list of Washington Elementary School Rankings!

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	85.66	37^th	835	95.6%
2019	98.00	3^rd	979	99.7%
2022	98.82	1^st	1019	99.9%
2023	87.34	49^th	1013	95.2%
2024	72.63	204^th	1024	80.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Lowell Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	92.79	42^nd	1004	95.8%
2019	90.75	60^th	1068	94.4%
2021	84.25	141^st	1008	86.0%
2022	92.46	70^th	1100	93.6%
2023	75.92	232^nd	1094	78.8%
2024	82.50	171^st	1093	84.4%

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	91.00	69^th	999	93.1%
2019	95.37	18^th	1075	98.3%
2021	89.68	106^th	1025	89.7%
2022	95.99	26^th	1113	97.7%
2023	92.27	71^st	1099	93.5%
2024	92.05	70^th	1099	93.6%

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

Rank History for White students at Lowell Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	92.34	17^th	833	98.0%
2019	92.50	22^nd	1027	97.9%
2021	84.50	119^th	943	87.4%
2022	96.06	6^th	1031	99.4%
2023	86.12	108^th	1011	89.3%
2024	88.56	74^th	1009	92.7%

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:

by a parent
Sunday, November 21, 2010

My Observations; Dedicated and caring Teachers - High Student & Faculty morale - Good recess activity - Very Strong parental support and involvement - student assemblies/programs are SRO - Clean and well organized, though older facility.
I am a grandparent of age 72 who went through school in the golden age of the 1940s-50s. 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	Total
1988	370	48	11	6	6	n/a	n/a	441
1989	374	53	14	7	3	n/a	n/a	451
1990	390	64	12	14	2	n/a	n/a	482
1991	377	76	11	13	6	n/a	n/a	483
1992	401	65	10	6	4	n/a	n/a	486
1993	400	70	12	5	4	n/a	n/a	491
1994	391	63	15	5	6	n/a	n/a	480
1995	391	64	18	14	5	n/a	n/a	492
1996	391	64	18	14	5	n/a	n/a	492
1997	409	58	12	6	6	n/a	n/a	491
1998	352	54	20	10	6	n/a	n/a	442
1999	362	55	25	14	7	n/a	n/a	463
2000	348	46	19	15	10	n/a	n/a	438
2001	375	37	14	12	8	n/a	n/a	446
2002	363	38	22	15	10	n/a	n/a	448
2003	363	38	22	15	10	n/a	n/a	448
2004	336	31	20	14	7	n/a	n/a	408
2005	325	28	27	16	7	n/a	n/a	403
2006	327	21	32	14	7	n/a	n/a	401
2007	306	35	23	16	6	n/a	n/a	386
2008	324	41	30	20	7	n/a	n/a	422
2009	350	42	31	17	10	n/a	n/a	450
2010	358	36	31	21	10	n/a	n/a	456
2011	312	24	18	20	5	5	52	436
2012	320	18	15	31	3	4	48	439
2013	347	37	28	29	5	3	2	451
2014	338	38	18	30	2	4	11	441
2015	317	35	17	38	2	4	27	440
2016	306	34	16	41	2	4	36	439
2017	322	21	10	47	1	3	38	442
2018	309	20	7	53	0	2	41	432
2019	298	18	11	47	0	1	47	422
2020	278	17	11	45	0	3	63	417
2021	243	14	15	35	0	3	61	371
2022	229	13	8	43	0	1	45	339
2023	209	11	13	39	0	1	46	319
2024	207	8	14	46	0	0	58	333

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	441	19.0	23.2	0
1989	451	21.0	21.4	n/a
1990	482	24.1	20.0	0
1991	483	23.8	20.2	n/a
1992	486	23.1	21.0	n/a
1993	491	24.6	20.0	n/a
1994	480	23.6	20.3	n/a
1995	492	24.6	20.0	n/a
1996	492	24.6	20.0	n/a
1997	491	24.5	20.0	n/a
1998	442	22.4	19.7	n/a
1999	463	23.0	20.1	n/a
2000	438	21.0	20.9	n/a
2001	446	24.0	18.6	n/a
2002	448	23.7	18.9	20.5
2003	448	23.7	18.9	20.5
2004	408	22.0	18.5	19.1
2005	403	21.6	18.7	19.6
2006	401	20.4	19.7	22.4
2007	386	20.2	19.1	23.3
2008	422	20.5	20.6	18.7
2009	450	20.5	22.0	20.2
2010	456	22.6	20.1	18
2011	436	22.6	19.2	17.4
2012	439	22.5	19.4	15.3
2013	451	22.8	19.7	16.2
2014	441	n/a	n/a	17.2
2015	440	26.0	16.9	17.5
2016	439	23.0	19.0	19.1
2017	442	23.0	19.2	18.1
2018	432	22.1	19.5	17.4
2019	422	22.9	18.3	15.2
2020	417	23.5	17.7	19.2
2021	371	21.8	17.0	19.4
2022	339	20.9	16.2	14.5
2023	319	19.1	16.7	25.4
2024	333	20.3	16.3	30.3

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	441	19.0	23.2	0
1989	451	21.0	21.4	n/a
1990	482	24.1	20.0	0
1991	483	23.8	20.2	n/a
1992	486	23.1	21.0	n/a
1993	491	24.6	20.0	n/a
1994	480	23.6	20.3	n/a
1995	492	24.6	20.0	n/a
1996	492	24.6	20.0	n/a
1997	491	24.5	20.0	n/a
1998	442	22.4	19.7	n/a
1999	463	23.0	20.1	n/a
2000	438	21.0	20.9	n/a
2001	446	24.0	18.6	n/a
2002	448	23.7	18.9	20.5
2003	448	23.7	18.9	20.5
2004	408	22.0	18.5	19.1
2005	403	21.6	18.7	19.6
2006	401	20.4	19.7	22.4
2007	386	20.2	19.1	23.3
2008	422	20.5	20.6	18.7
2009	450	20.5	22.0	20.2
2010	456	22.6	20.1	18
2011	436	22.6	19.2	17.4
2012	439	22.5	19.4	15.3
2013	451	22.8	19.7	16.2
2014	441	n/a	n/a	17.2
2015	440	26.0	16.9	17.5
2016	439	23.0	19.0	19.1
2017	442	23.0	19.2	18.1
2018	432	22.1	19.5	17.4
2019	422	22.9	18.3	15.2
2020	417	23.5	17.7	19.2
2021	371	21.8	17.0	19.4
2022	339	20.9	16.2	14.5
2023	319	19.1	16.7	25.4
2024	333	20.3	16.3	30.3

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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