Is Christensen Elementary a good school?

Christensen Elementary ranks in the bottom 12.4% of Washington elementary schools.

How many students attend Christensen Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 346 students attended Christensen Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Christensen Elementary?

Students at Christensen Elementary are 32% Hispanic, 23% White, 14% African American, 13% Pacific Islander, 13% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Christensen Elementary attend?

Students who attend Christensen Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Perry G Keithley Middle School High : Washington High School

Christensen Elementary

Summary:

Christensen Elementary is a public elementary school in Tacoma, Washington, serving 368 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Franklin Pierce School District, which is ranked 205 out of 247 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Christensen Elementary consistently ranks in the bottom 10-15% of Washington elementary schools, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts (30.86%) and Math (27.84%) well below the state averages of 52.63% and 41.68%, respectively. The school's performance is particularly low for certain student subgroups, such as African American, Hispanic, and Multi-racial students, who rank in the bottom 10-20% of their respective subgroups statewide. Despite relatively high spending per student ($19,289) and a slightly lower student-teacher ratio (15.3) compared to the district and state, Christensen Elementary's academic performance has declined over the past several years.

Interestingly, nearby schools in the Franklin Pierce School District, such as Brookdale Elementary and Elmhurst Elementary, as well as schools in the Tacoma School District, such as Fern Hill Elementary and Larchmont Elementary, generally outperform Christensen Elementary by a wide margin, with proficiency rates that are 10-20 percentage points higher in ELA and Math.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

10232 Barnes Lane S
Tacoma, WA 98444-2799

(253) 298-3305

District: Franklin Pierce School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1023^rd of 1,168 Washington Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,289

Students who attend Christensen Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Perry G Keithley Middle School
High:	Washington High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.9

Number of students: 346

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

31.5%

White:

22.8%

African American:

14.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 75.4%

See top rated Washington elementary schools

Compare Christensen Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Christensen Elementary ranks worse than 87.6% of elementary schools in Washington. It also ranks 6^th among 8 ranked elementary schools in the Franklin Pierce School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 16.15. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Christensen Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (31.5%), White (22.8%), African American (14.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 75.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Christensen Elementary is 14.9. 5 elementary schools in the Franklin Pierce School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Christensen Elementary employs 23.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Christensen Elementary is $19,289. 6 elementary schools in the Franklin Pierce School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Christensen Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Christensen Elementary 1023^rd of 1168 Washington public elementary schools. (See Christensen Elementary 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:

Hispanic students:

Pacific Islander students:

White students:

Franklin Pierce School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Franklin Pierce School District 205^th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Christensen Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Christensen Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	19.80	873^rd	1026	14.9%
2005	20.16	865^th	1031	16.1%
2006	10.71	996^th	1051	5.2%
2007	20.04	924^th	1069	13.6%
2008	30.03	810^th	1067	24.1%
2009	34.99	759^th	1072	29.2%
2010	31.96	807^th	1088	25.8%
2011	37.24	744^th	1092	31.9%
2012	31.52	831^st	1097	24.2%
2013	45.28	658^th	1106	40.5%
2015	10.32	1000^th	1067	6.3%
2016	11.78	975^th	1053	7.4%
2017	11.56	982^nd	1056	7.0%
2018	23.19	847^th	1054	19.6%
2019	12.22	1031^st	1130	8.8%
2021	11.56	1016^th	1107	8.2%
2022	8.82	1117^th	1169	4.4%
2023	15.59	1036^th	1169	11.4%
2024	16.15	1023^rd	1168	12.4%

See the entire list of Washington Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Christensen Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	7.92	294^th	303	3.0%
2023	12.26	187^th	194	3.6%

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

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Christensen Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	55.56	87^th	254	65.7%
2024	54.34	121^st	320	62.2%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Christensen Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	26.95	795^th	979	18.8%
2021	22.63	723^rd	854	15.3%
2022	19.63	907^th	1019	11.0%
2023	24.22	846^th	1013	16.5%
2024	29.15	776^th	1024	24.2%

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

Rank History for Female students at Christensen Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	23.57	801^st	1004	20.2%
2019	15.40	951^st	1068	11.0%
2021	19.68	840^th	1008	16.7%
2022	10.74	1040^th	1100	5.5%
2023	23.04	873^rd	1094	20.2%
2024	11.08	1024^th	1093	6.3%

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

Rank History for Male students at Christensen Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	24.00	800^th	999	19.9%
2019	10.25	1013^th	1075	5.8%
2021	8.57	990^th	1025	3.4%
2022	10.41	1048^th	1113	5.8%
2023	16.15	971^st	1099	11.6%
2024	23.10	873^rd	1099	20.6%

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

Rank History for African American students at Christensen Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	35.25	81^st	107	24.3%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Christensen Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	44.16	295^th	540	45.4%
2019	27.15	548^th	697	21.4%
2021	33.01	335^th	501	33.1%
2022	16.22	655^th	694	5.6%
2023	35.00	431^st	633	31.9%
2024	43.29	384^th	651	41.0%

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

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Christensen Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	69.42	1^st	3	66.7%

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

Rank History for White students at Christensen Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	25.94	664^th	833	20.3%
2019	15.84	919^th	1027	10.5%
2021	15.28	841^st	943	10.8%
2022	17.12	920^th	1031	10.8%
2023	21.59	854^th	1011	15.5%
2024	25.11	808^th	1009	19.9%

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 Christensen Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	286	36	19	8	4	n/a	n/a	0	353
1989	287	38	24	15	3	n/a	n/a	0	367
1990	279	37	33	8	7	n/a	n/a	0	364
1991	285	52	22	11	3	n/a	n/a	0	373
1992	258	69	29	9	3	n/a	n/a	0	368
1993	245	65	40	10	8	n/a	n/a	0	368
1994	257	61	28	14	2	n/a	n/a	0	362
1995	300	90	38	13	13	n/a	n/a	0	454
1996	300	90	38	13	13	n/a	n/a	0	454
1997	310	73	43	16	11	n/a	n/a	0	453
1998	335	95	49	17	9	n/a	n/a	0	505
1999	300	91	46	18	11	n/a	n/a	0	466
2000	285	98	39	21	29	n/a	n/a	0	472
2001	294	108	37	22	17	n/a	n/a	0	478
2002	268	114	40	28	9	n/a	n/a	0	459
2003	268	114	40	28	9	n/a	n/a	0	459
2004	235	166	45	42	6	n/a	n/a	0	494
2005	181	140	77	52	10	n/a	n/a	16	476
2006	167	128	61	44	11	n/a	n/a	58	469
2007	140	81	60	50	10	n/a	n/a	83	424
2008	134	80	62	46	10	n/a	n/a	114	446
2009	140	75	59	49	10	n/a	n/a	118	451
2010	111	81	62	50	3	n/a	n/a	107	414
2011	145	71	22	82	1	39	49	0	409
2012	139	62	20	104	2	30	60	0	417
2013	127	74	29	113	4	37	54	0	438
2014	131	72	26	111	1	27	65	0	433
2015	110	78	28	112	5	30	68	0	431
2016	112	83	23	131	2	35	71	0	457
2017	114	75	19	136	2	50	65	0	461
2018	124	65	26	134	4	44	63	0	460
2019	114	64	21	125	3	57	75	0	459
2020	106	73	19	112	5	53	79	0	447
2021	91	63	13	117	4	51	64	0	403
2022	86	58	14	114	4	50	50	0	376
2023	82	53	11	110	4	42	48	18	368
2024	79	49	13	109	3	46	44	3	346

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 Christensen Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	353	16.0	22.0	0
1989	367	17.0	21.5	n/a
1990	364	19.7	18.4	0
1991	373	18.7	19.9	n/a
1992	368	18.8	19.5	n/a
1993	368	19.8	18.6	n/a
1994	362	19.0	19.1	n/a
1995	454	20.0	22.7	n/a
1996	454	20.0	22.7	n/a
1997	453	21.0	21.6	n/a
1998	505	22.5	22.4	n/a
1999	466	22.6	20.6	n/a
2000	472	24.5	19.3	n/a
2001	478	25.0	19.1	n/a
2002	459	27.0	17.0	66.2
2003	459	27.0	17.0	66.2
2004	494	26.0	19.0	67
2005	476	24.9	19.1	71.7
2006	469	24.0	19.5	78.6
2007	424	23.0	18.4	83.3
2008	446	23.0	19.4	97.3
2009	451	23.0	19.6	106.6
2010	414	25.0	16.5	111.7
2011	409	24.5	16.6	72.4
2012	417	23.0	18.1	81.3
2013	438	22.5	19.4	80.8
2014	433	n/a	n/a	80.8
2015	431	27.0	15.9	75.4
2016	457	24.0	19.0	77.7
2017	461	24.5	18.8	83.1
2018	460	25.0	18.3	76.3
2019	459	24.9	18.3	86.7
2020	447	25.9	17.1	83.9
2021	403	25.9	15.5	72
2022	376	25.0	15.0	71
2023	368	24.0	15.3	73.6
2024	346	23.1	14.9	75.4

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 Christensen Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	353	16.0	22.0	0
1989	367	17.0	21.5	n/a
1990	364	19.7	18.4	0
1991	373	18.7	19.9	n/a
1992	368	18.8	19.5	n/a
1993	368	19.8	18.6	n/a
1994	362	19.0	19.1	n/a
1995	454	20.0	22.7	n/a
1996	454	20.0	22.7	n/a
1997	453	21.0	21.6	n/a
1998	505	22.5	22.4	n/a
1999	466	22.6	20.6	n/a
2000	472	24.5	19.3	n/a
2001	478	25.0	19.1	n/a
2002	459	27.0	17.0	66.2
2003	459	27.0	17.0	66.2
2004	494	26.0	19.0	67
2005	476	24.9	19.1	71.7
2006	469	24.0	19.5	78.6
2007	424	23.0	18.4	83.3
2008	446	23.0	19.4	97.3
2009	451	23.0	19.6	106.6
2010	414	25.0	16.5	111.7
2011	409	24.5	16.6	72.4
2012	417	23.0	18.1	81.3
2013	438	22.5	19.4	80.8
2014	433	n/a	n/a	80.8
2015	431	27.0	15.9	75.4
2016	457	24.0	19.0	77.7
2017	461	24.5	18.8	83.1
2018	460	25.0	18.3	76.3
2019	459	24.9	18.3	86.7
2020	447	25.9	17.1	83.9
2021	403	25.9	15.5	72
2022	376	25.0	15.0	71
2023	368	24.0	15.3	73.6
2024	346	23.1	14.9	75.4

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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