Birchwood Elementary School

Summary:

Birchwood Elementary School is a public elementary school in Bellingham, Washington, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 369. The school is part of the Bellingham School District, which is ranked 86 out of 247 districts in Washington and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Birchwood Elementary consistently underperforms compared to the Bellingham School District and the state of Washington in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Math proficiency across all grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 32.94% of Birchwood students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 56.23% for the district and 52.63% for the state. In Math, the proficiency rate was just 24.12% at Birchwood, compared to 44.64% for the district and 41.68% for the state. Birchwood Elementary has a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 60.43% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in the 2022-2023 school year, significantly higher than the district and state averages.

Birchwood Elementary has a more diverse student population compared to the nearby schools, with a higher percentage of Hispanic (40.65%) and two or more races (9.76%) students. However, the school has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Washington elementary schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past several years. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school ranked 997 out of 1,168 elementary schools in the state, lagging significantly behind nearby schools in the Bellingham School District, such as Lowell Elementary, Columbia Elementary, and Parkview Elementary, which consistently outperform Birchwood in both ELA and Math proficiency.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 3200 Pinewood Ave
       Bellingham, WA  98225-1436


(360) 676-6466

District: Bellingham School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
997th of 1,168 Washington Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $20,881 Help


Students who attend Birchwood Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Shuksan Middle School
High:    Bellingham High School

Student/teacher ratio:  13.8 Help
Number of students:  369

Racial breakdown:

White:
43.4%
Hispanic:
40.7%
Two or more races:
9.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  60.4% Help


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 Compare Birchwood Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Birchwood Elementary School ranks worse than 85.4% of elementary schools in Washington. It also ranks 13th among 14 ranked elementary schools in the Bellingham School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.91. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (43.4%), Hispanic (40.7%), two or more races (9.8%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 60.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Birchwood Elementary School is 13.8, which is the 6th best among 14 elementary schools in the Bellingham School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Birchwood Elementary School employs 26.6 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Birchwood Elementary School is $20,881, which is the 7th highest among 14 elementary schools in the Bellingham School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Birchwood Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Birchwood Elementary School 997th of 1168 Washington public elementary schools. (See Birchwood Elementary School 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:


Bellingham School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Bellingham School District 86th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Birchwood Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Birchwood Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 61.21 368th 1026 64.1%
2005 59.52 420th 1031 59.3%
2006 44.79 617th 1051 41.3%
2007 37.66 726th 1069 32.1%
2008 28.78 824th 1067 22.8%
2009 42.30 674th 1072 37.1%
2010 50.85 545th 1088 49.9%
2011 46.89 609th 1092 44.2%
2015 40.63 654th 1067 38.7%
2016 33.51 727th 1053 31.0%
2017 34.48 718th 1056 32.0%
2018 23.31 845th 1054 19.8%
2019 12.72 1026th 1130 9.2%
2021 18.93 902nd 1107 18.5%
2022 21.43 948th 1169 18.9%
2023 15.23 1041st 1169 10.9%
2024 17.91 997th 1168 14.6%
See the entire list of Washington Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Birchwood Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 41.46 179th 333 46.2%
See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 20.50 742nd 835 11.1%
2019 11.08 949th 979 3.1%
2021 13.60 819th 854 4.1%
2022 15.80 951st 1019 6.7%
2023 11.08 975th 1013 3.8%
2024 11.92 968th 1024 5.5%
See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Birchwood Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 22.64 811th 1004 19.2%
2019 10.87 997th 1068 6.6%
2021 25.47 762nd 1008 24.4%
2022 20.14 922nd 1100 16.2%
2023 10.30 1033rd 1094 5.6%
2024 9.85 1039th 1093 4.9%
See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Birchwood Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.85 774th 999 22.5%
2019 16.79 932nd 1075 13.3%
2021 13.18 933rd 1025 9.0%
2022 22.86 878th 1113 21.1%
2023 23.01 878th 1099 20.1%
2024 31.54 760th 1099 30.8%
See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Birchwood Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 8.46 529th 540 2.0%
2019 14.27 659th 697 5.5%
2022 16.57 651st 694 6.2%
2024 25.31 516th 651 20.7%
See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Birchwood Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 36.46 565th 833 32.2%
2019 33.07 756th 1027 26.4%
2021 32.95 652nd 943 30.9%
2022 40.61 629th 1031 39.0%
2023 30.56 747th 1011 26.1%
2024 27.88 769th 1009 23.8%
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.

Birchwood Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Birchwood Elementary School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 290 0 10 11 15 n/a n/a 0 326
1989 302 0 18 14 4 n/a n/a 0 338
1990 295 1 13 15 6 n/a n/a 0 330
1991 290 2 13 13 11 n/a n/a 0 329
1992 302 1 25 8 16 n/a n/a 0 352
1993 300 3 26 12 14 n/a n/a 0 355
1994 297 3 17 18 12 n/a n/a 0 347
1995 261 3 26 15 13 n/a n/a 0 318
1996 261 3 26 15 13 n/a n/a 0 318
1997 275 3 27 22 6 n/a n/a 0 333
1998 237 5 30 28 11 n/a n/a 0 311
1999 236 3 22 38 10 n/a n/a 0 309
2000 215 4 23 53 14 n/a n/a 0 309
2001 218 3 21 49 13 n/a n/a 0 304
2002 224 13 13 53 14 n/a n/a 0 317
2003 224 13 13 53 14 n/a n/a 0 317
2004 248 11 16 61 17 n/a n/a 0 353
2005 234 13 22 61 10 n/a n/a 2 342
2006 205 8 24 56 6 n/a n/a 4 303
2007 195 8 28 56 6 n/a n/a 9 302
2008 198 4 26 56 11 n/a n/a 19 314
2009 200 8 25 54 12 n/a n/a 21 320
2010 206 5 27 51 13 n/a n/a 0 302
2011 187 7 19 59 5 4 0 0 281
2015 152 5 12 96 4 8 18 0 295
2016 154 7 13 128 2 10 25 0 339
2017 145 5 12 135 3 7 24 0 331
2018 150 2 13 140 1 4 27 0 337
2019 148 3 13 156 2 4 32 0 358
2020 163 2 9 149 1 4 31 0 359
2021 138 3 9 144 0 2 28 0 324
2022 142 2 11 133 1 1 33 0 323
2023 160 3 13 150 4 2 36 1 369

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 Birchwood Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 326 14.0 23.2 0
1989 338 15.0 22.5 n/a
1990 330 15.5 21.2 0
1991 329 16.5 19.9 n/a
1992 352 16.5 21.3 n/a
1993 355 17.5 20.3 n/a
1994 347 18.9 18.4 n/a
1995 318 15.3 20.8 n/a
1996 318 15.3 20.8 n/a
1997 333 15.7 21.2 n/a
1998 311 15.0 20.7 n/a
1999 309 15.0 20.6 n/a
2000 309 16.1 19.2 n/a
2001 304 16.9 18.0 n/a
2002 317 17.5 18.1 60.9
2003 317 17.5 18.1 60.9
2004 353 18.0 19.6 62.9
2005 342 18.5 18.5 58.2
2006 303 17.5 17.3 58.9
2007 302 17.1 17.7 60.4
2008 314 17.0 18.5 66.4
2009 320 17.0 18.8 71.6
2010 302 18.3 16.4 68.9
2011 281 13.0 21.6 49.1
2015 295 21.0 14.0 69.8
2016 339 21.0 16.1 68.1
2017 331 22.4 14.7 68.9
2018 337 22.1 15.2 60.8
2019 358 24.4 14.6 60.1
2020 359 26.2 13.6 59.1
2021 324 25.3 12.7 54.3
2022 323 25.7 12.5 49.2
2023 369 26.6 13.8 60.4

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 Birchwood Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 326 14.0 23.2 0
1989 338 15.0 22.5 n/a
1990 330 15.5 21.2 0
1991 329 16.5 19.9 n/a
1992 352 16.5 21.3 n/a
1993 355 17.5 20.3 n/a
1994 347 18.9 18.4 n/a
1995 318 15.3 20.8 n/a
1996 318 15.3 20.8 n/a
1997 333 15.7 21.2 n/a
1998 311 15.0 20.7 n/a
1999 309 15.0 20.6 n/a
2000 309 16.1 19.2 n/a
2001 304 16.9 18.0 n/a
2002 317 17.5 18.1 60.9
2003 317 17.5 18.1 60.9
2004 353 18.0 19.6 62.9
2005 342 18.5 18.5 58.2
2006 303 17.5 17.3 58.9
2007 302 17.1 17.7 60.4
2008 314 17.0 18.5 66.4
2009 320 17.0 18.8 71.6
2010 302 18.3 16.4 68.9
2011 281 13.0 21.6 49.1
2015 295 21.0 14.0 69.8
2016 339 21.0 16.1 68.1
2017 331 22.4 14.7 68.9
2018 337 22.1 15.2 60.8
2019 358 24.4 14.6 60.1
2020 359 26.2 13.6 59.1
2021 324 25.3 12.7 54.3
2022 323 25.7 12.5 49.2
2023 369 26.6 13.8 60.4

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.

Kindergarten Immunization Rates

Birchwood Elementary School

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Compare
YearCompletely ImmunizedReligious ExemptionMedical ExemptionConditionalPersonal ExemptionPolioDiphtheriaHepatitis BVaricellaMMRPertussisMeaslesMumpsRubellaTetanus
201669.7%1.5%1.5%9.1%74.2%78.8%87.9%74.2%78.8%78.8%
201776.0%0.0%0.0%4.0%4.0%80.0%82.0%86.0%84.0%86.0%82.0%
201988.3%1.7%3.3%3.3%0.0%91.7%93.3%91.7%91.7%93.3%93.3%
202088.9%0.0%0.0%0.0%3.7%92.6%92.6%92.6%90.7%92.6%94.4%94.4%94.4%92.6%
202176.9%0.0%0.0%1.5%0.0%80.0%83.1%96.9%83.1%83.1%84.6%84.6%84.6%83.1%
202263.5%0.0%1.6%0.0%0.0%74.6%69.8%88.9%69.8%69.8%73.0%73.0%73.0%69.8%
202384.9%0.0%0.0%1.4%0.0%89.0%87.7%97.3%90.4%87.7%90.4%90.4%90.4%87.7%
202481.3%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%84.4%84.4%90.6%81.3%84.4%84.4%84.4%84.4%84.4%

Data source: Washington State Department of Health

Immunization Rates (Entire school)

Birchwood Elementary School

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Compare
YearCompletely ImmunizedReligious ExemptionMedical ExemptionPersonal ExemptionPolioDiphtheriaHepatitis BVaricellaMMRPertussis
201990.2%0.3%1.2%4.2%96.4%97.6%95.5%95.8%97.6%97.6%

Data source: Washington State Department of Health
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Birchwood Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $763 (5.3%) $13,596 (94.7%) $14,359
2020 $1,116 (10.3%) $9,722 (89.7%) $10,838
2021 $1,275 (6.3%) $18,875 (93.7%) $20,150
2022 $1,760 (8.4%) $19,120 (91.6%) $20,881

Data source: Washington Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Birchwood Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 1026th of 1130 Elementary schoolsRanks 1041st of 1169 Elementary schools
 1.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Birchwood Elementary School)30.632.6
 2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Bellingham School District)54.147.8
 6.3%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Washington)56.348.9
 7.4%
3rd Grade Math (Birchwood Elementary School)24.523.9
 0.6%
   3rd Grade Math (Bellingham School District)5147.9
 3.1%
   3rd Grade Math (Washington)5951.6
 7.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Birchwood Elementary School)36.736.2
 0.4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Bellingham School District)5251.4
 0.6%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Washington)57.750.1
 7.6%
4th Grade Math (Birchwood Elementary School)33.335.3
 2%
   4th Grade Math (Bellingham School District)45.348.6
 3.3%
   4th Grade Math (Washington)54.949.4
 5.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Birchwood Elementary School)4226.2
 15.8%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Bellingham School District)63.452.3
 11.2%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Washington)61.353.8
 7.6%
5th Grade Math (Birchwood Elementary School)2816.3
 11.7%
   5th Grade Math (Bellingham School District)43.238.8
 4.4%
   5th Grade Math (Washington)49.142
 7.1%
5th Grade Science (Birchwood Elementary School)4025.6
 14.4%
   5th Grade Science (Bellingham School District)59.258.3
 0.9%
   5th Grade Science (Washington)54.152.3
 1.8%
All Grades English Language Arts (Birchwood Elementary School)36.532.5
 4%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Bellingham School District)63.755.8
 7.9%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Washington)6152.9
 8.1%
All Grades Math (Birchwood Elementary School)28.926.8
 2.2%
   All Grades Math (Bellingham School District)46.945
 1.9%
   All Grades Math (Washington)50.141
 9%
All Grades Science (Birchwood Elementary School)4025.6
 14.4%
   All Grades Science (Bellingham School District)60.459.2
 1.2%
   All Grades Science (Washington)52.748.8
 4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students358369
 3.1%
African American33
American Indian24
 100%
Asian1313
Hispanic156150
 3.8%
Pacific Islander42
 50%
White148160
 8.1%
Two or More Races3236
 12.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients60.1%60.4%
 0.4%


Schools Near Birchwood Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Birchwood Elementary School

Students at Birchwood Elementary School are 43% White, 41% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 1% American Indian.

Students who attend Birchwood Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Shuksan Middle School
High : Bellingham High School

Birchwood Elementary School ranks in the bottom 14.6% of Washington elementary schools.

In the 2022-23 school year, 369 students attended Birchwood Elementary School.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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