Is Birchwood Elementary School a good school?

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

How many students attend Birchwood Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 362 students attended Birchwood Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Birchwood Elementary School?

Students at Birchwood Elementary School are 44% Hispanic, 42% White, 10% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of Birchwood Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Birchwood Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Shuksan Middle School High : Bellingham High School

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:
997^th of 1,168 Washington Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $20,881

Students who attend Birchwood Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Shuksan Middle School
High:	Bellingham High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.4

Number of students: 362

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

43.6%

White:

42.0%

Two or more races:

9.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 61.9%

See top rated Washington elementary schools

Compare Birchwood Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Birchwood Elementary School ranks worse than 85.4% of elementary schools in Washington. It also ranks 13^th among 14 ranked elementary schools in the Bellingham School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.91. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (43.6%), White (42%), two or more races (9.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 61.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Birchwood Elementary School is 13.4, which is the 3^rd best among 14 elementary schools in the Bellingham School District. (See more...)

Compare Birchwood Elementary School employs 26.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Birchwood Elementary School is $20,881, which is the 7^th highest among 14 elementary schools in the Bellingham School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Birchwood Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Birchwood Elementary School 997^th 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 86^th 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
2004	61.21	368^th	1026	64.1%
2005	59.52	420^th	1031	59.3%
2006	44.79	617^th	1051	41.3%
2007	37.66	726^th	1069	32.1%
2008	28.78	824^th	1067	22.8%
2009	42.30	674^th	1072	37.1%
2010	50.85	545^th	1088	49.9%
2011	46.89	609^th	1092	44.2%
2015	40.63	654^th	1067	38.7%
2016	33.51	727^th	1053	31.0%
2017	34.48	718^th	1056	32.0%
2018	23.31	845^th	1054	19.8%
2019	12.72	1026^th	1130	9.2%
2021	18.93	902^nd	1107	18.5%
2022	21.43	948^th	1169	18.9%
2023	15.23	1041^st	1169	10.9%
2024	17.91	997^th	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	179^th	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
2018	20.50	742^nd	835	11.1%
2019	11.08	949^th	979	3.1%
2021	13.60	819^th	854	4.1%
2022	15.80	951^st	1019	6.7%
2023	11.08	975^th	1013	3.8%
2024	11.92	968^th	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
2018	22.64	811^th	1004	19.2%
2019	10.87	997^th	1068	6.6%
2021	25.47	762^nd	1008	24.4%
2022	20.14	922^nd	1100	16.2%
2023	10.30	1033^rd	1094	5.6%
2024	9.85	1039^th	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
2018	25.85	774^th	999	22.5%
2019	16.79	932^nd	1075	13.3%
2021	13.18	933^rd	1025	9.0%
2022	22.86	878^th	1113	21.1%
2023	23.01	878^th	1099	20.1%
2024	31.54	760^th	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
2018	8.46	529^th	540	2.0%
2019	14.27	659^th	697	5.5%
2022	16.57	651^st	694	6.2%
2024	25.31	516^th	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
2018	36.46	565^th	833	32.2%
2019	33.07	756^th	1027	26.4%
2021	32.95	652^nd	943	30.9%
2022	40.61	629^th	1031	39.0%
2023	30.56	747^th	1011	26.1%
2024	27.88	769^th	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.

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
2024	152	4	10	158	2	1	35	0	362

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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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
2024	362	26.9	13.4	61.9

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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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
2024	362	26.9	13.4	61.9

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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