Is Nelson Elementary School a good school?

Nelson Elementary School ranks 401 st of 1168 Washington elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Nelson Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 707 students attended Nelson Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Nelson Elementary School?

Students at Nelson Elementary School are 48% White, 17% Hispanic, 16% Two or more races, 9% African American, 6% Asian, 4% Pacific Islander, 1% American Indian.

What schools do graduates of Nelson Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Nelson Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Frontier Middle School High : Graham Kapowsin High School

Nelson Elementary School

Summary:

Nelson Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Graham, Washington, serving 707 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. It is part of the Bethel School District, which is ranked 141 out of 247 school districts in the state.

Nelson Elementary consistently outperforms the Bethel School District and the state of Washington in academic proficiency across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 55.71% of Nelson Elementary students were proficient or better in SBAC/English Language Arts, compared to 49.89% for the district and 52.63% for the state. In SBAC/Math, Nelson Elementary had 59.4% proficiency, significantly higher than the district's 36.67% and the state's 41.68%. The school also stands out in its performance for specific student subgroups, ranking among the top Washington elementary schools for African American, Hispanic, and multi-racial students.

Despite these academic strengths, Nelson Elementary has seen a significant increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 29.9% in 2021-2022 to 46.39% in 2022-2023, indicating a growing population of economically disadvantaged students. However, the school has also experienced a notable increase in per-student spending, from $9,848 in 2019-2020 to $16,970 in 2021-2022, suggesting a greater investment in the school's resources and programs to support its diverse student population.

Detail:

Public K-5

22109 108th Ave E
Graham, WA 98338

(253) 800-6400

District: Bethel School District

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,970

Students who attend Nelson Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Frontier Middle School
High:	Graham Kapowsin High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.8

Number of students: 707

Racial breakdown:

White:

47.7%

Hispanic:

16.7%

Two or more races:

15.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 46.4%

See top rated Washington elementary schools

Compare Nelson Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Nelson Elementary School ranks better than 65.7% of elementary schools in Washington. It also ranks 4^th among 18 ranked elementary schools in the Bethel School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 63.51. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Nelson Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Bethel School District. Student population at Nelson Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (47.7%), Hispanic (16.7%), two or more races (15.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 46.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Nelson Elementary School is 16.8. 16 elementary schools in the Bethel School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Nelson Elementary School employs 42 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Nelson Elementary School is $16,970. 16 elementary schools in the Bethel School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Nelson Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Nelson Elementary School 401^st of 1168 Washington public elementary schools. (See Nelson Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Bethel School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Bethel School District 141^st of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Nelson Elementary School.

What do you think?

Your rating for Nelson Elementary School?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Nelson Elementary School

Compare

Rank History for all students at Nelson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2011	67.86	322^nd	1092	70.5%
2012	72.89	261^st	1097	76.2%
2013	78.09	200^th	1106	81.9%
2015	64.38	355^th	1067	66.7%
2016	49.00	548^th	1053	48.0%
2017	55.98	472^nd	1056	55.3%
2018	63.56	385^th	1054	63.5%
2019	69.54	333^rd	1130	70.5%
2021	40.18	625^th	1107	43.5%
2022	54.07	494^th	1169	57.7%
2023	51.40	523^rd	1169	55.3%
2024	63.51	401^st	1168	65.7%

See the entire list of Washington Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Nelson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	56.67	141^st	303	53.5%
2021	23.96	99^th	128	22.7%
2022	45.91	143^rd	252	43.3%
2023	27.00	156^th	194	19.6%
2024	76.42	25^th	188	86.7%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Nelson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	54.66	89^th	254	65.0%
2024	69.35	70^th	320	78.1%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Nelson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	42.45	289^th	566	48.9%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	65.85	225^th	835	73.1%
2019	75.92	134^th	979	86.3%
2021	50.13	377^th	854	55.9%
2022	63.02	295^th	1019	71.1%
2023	65.80	283^rd	1013	72.1%
2024	75.70	170^th	1024	83.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Nelson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	62.18	389^th	1004	61.3%
2019	68.96	325^th	1068	69.6%
2021	39.61	577^th	1008	42.8%
2022	55.87	456^th	1100	58.5%
2023	57.21	436^th	1094	60.1%
2024	65.87	333^rd	1093	69.5%

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

Rank History for Military Connected students at Nelson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	46.66	27^th	50	46.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at Nelson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	61.46	378^th	999	62.2%
2019	68.22	332^nd	1075	69.1%
2021	38.25	600^th	1025	41.5%
2022	51.59	499^th	1113	55.2%
2023	45.46	562^nd	1099	48.9%
2024	59.46	422^nd	1099	61.6%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Nelson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	22.79	151^st	187	19.3%

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

Rank History for African American students at Nelson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2022	66.48	23^rd	108	78.7%
2023	71.19	17^th	66	74.2%
2024	54.12	29^th	71	59.2%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Nelson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	82.37	64^th	540	88.1%
2019	82.49	74^th	697	89.4%
2021	44.51	234^th	501	53.3%
2022	40.71	395^th	694	43.1%
2023	73.11	111^th	633	82.5%
2024	72.30	135^th	651	79.3%

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

Rank History for White students at Nelson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	55.16	383^rd	833	54.0%
2019	70.69	302^nd	1027	70.6%
2021	47.27	490^th	943	48.0%
2022	61.27	378^th	1031	63.3%
2023	52.23	474^th	1011	53.1%
2024	58.93	400^th	1009	60.4%

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: 5)

100%

by a parent
Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Nelson is an all-around excellent school. Top notch teachers, dynamic administration, state of the art facility. Great families and pleasant environment. Conveniently located next to Jr. High and High School. Highly recommend; we have been nothing but pleased. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Nelson Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2010	491	20	31	68	11	n/a	n/a	0	621
2011	535	21	25	57	13	9	12	0	672
2012	495	28	20	68	12	15	16	0	654
2013	510	26	19	69	13	10	26	0	673
2014	413	16	18	58	15	11	33	0	564
2015	410	7	14	76	10	12	54	0	583
2016	372	12	8	98	7	11	67	0	575
2017	351	17	7	95	3	10	62	0	545
2018	349	19	9	91	2	5	56	0	531
2019	347	23	16	98	4	14	80	0	582
2020	382	34	39	137	5	30	101	0	728
2021	329	43	43	121	10	37	101	0	684
2022	329	63	50	108	6	29	113	1	699
2023	337	64	42	118	9	27	110	0	707

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 Nelson Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	621	30.1	20.5	33.7
2011	672	32.2	20.8	23.1
2012	654	32.0	20.4	35.5
2013	673	32.8	20.5	27.2
2014	564	n/a	n/a	38.3
2015	583	35.0	16.6	39.8
2016	575	34.0	16.9	36
2017	545	33.5	16.2	43.7
2018	531	32.6	16.2	34.3
2019	582	38.3	15.1	33
2020	728	44.4	16.3	33.9
2021	684	44.9	15.2	33.9
2022	699	44.8	15.6	29.9
2023	707	42.0	16.8	46.4

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 Nelson Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	621	30.1	20.5	33.7
2011	672	32.2	20.8	23.1
2012	654	32.0	20.4	35.5
2013	673	32.8	20.5	27.2
2014	564	n/a	n/a	38.3
2015	583	35.0	16.6	39.8
2016	575	34.0	16.9	36
2017	545	33.5	16.2	43.7
2018	531	32.6	16.2	34.3
2019	582	38.3	15.1	33
2020	728	44.4	16.3	33.9
2021	684	44.9	15.2	33.9
2022	699	44.8	15.6	29.9
2023	707	42.0	16.8	46.4

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