Is Henry David Thoreau Elementary a good school?

Yes. Henry David Thoreau Elementary ranks in the top 8.3% of Washington elementary schools.

How many students attend Henry David Thoreau Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 429 students attended Henry David Thoreau Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Henry David Thoreau Elementary?

Students at Henry David Thoreau Elementary are 54% White, 21% Asian, 12% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of Henry David Thoreau Elementary attend?

Students who attend Henry David Thoreau Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Finn Hill Middle School High : Juanita High School

Henry David Thoreau Elementary

Summary:

Henry David Thoreau Elementary is a highly-ranked public elementary school in Kirkland, Washington, serving 409 students in grades K-5 and part of the acclaimed Lake Washington School District.

This exceptional school consistently outperforms state and district averages on standardized tests, with 78.33% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 70.3% in math, compared to 52.63% and 41.68% statewide, respectively. The school's diverse student population includes a higher percentage of Asian (20.78%) and multi-racial (10.51%) students than surrounding schools. Henry David Thoreau Elementary also demonstrates strong performance across different student subgroups, ranking 52nd out of 1,093 Washington elementary schools for female students and 136th out of 1,009 for white students.

While Henry David Thoreau Elementary's academic excellence is impressive, nearby schools like Moorlands Elementary and Arrowhead Elementary in the Northshore School District also demonstrate strong performance, suggesting a broader trend of high-quality education in the region. However, the school could potentially improve its 5th-grade math scores and performance for Hispanic students, which are slightly lower than other subgroups.

Detail:

Public K-5

8224 NE 138th
Kirkland, WA 98034-5105

(425) 936-2720

District: Lake Washington School District

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $20,247

Students who attend Henry David Thoreau Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Finn Hill Middle School
High:	Juanita High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.8

Number of students: 429

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.3%

Asian:

21.2%

Hispanic:

11.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 14.9%

See top rated Washington elementary schools

Compare Henry David Thoreau Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Henry David Thoreau Elementary ranks better than 91.7% of elementary schools in Washington. It also ranks 19^th among 31 ranked elementary schools in the Lake Washington School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 90.81. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (54.3%), Asian (21.2%), Hispanic (11.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 14.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Henry David Thoreau Elementary is 15.8, which is the 8^th best among 31 elementary schools in the Lake Washington School District. (See more...)

Compare Henry David Thoreau Elementary employs 27 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Henry David Thoreau Elementary is $20,247, which is the 9^th highest among 31 elementary schools in the Lake Washington School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Henry David Thoreau Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Henry David Thoreau Elementary 97^th of 1168 Washington public elementary schools. (See Henry David Thoreau Elementary 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:

Lake Washington School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Lake Washington School District 4^th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Henry David Thoreau Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Henry David Thoreau Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	67.00	287^th	1026	72.0%
2005	69.17	293^rd	1031	71.6%
2006	76.21	202^nd	1051	80.8%
2007	62.11	405^th	1069	62.1%
2008	74.54	220^th	1067	79.4%
2009	64.49	373^rd	1072	65.2%
2010	70.53	267^th	1088	75.5%
2011	72.59	253^rd	1092	76.8%
2012	67.89	342^nd	1097	68.8%
2013	76.85	212^th	1106	80.8%
2015	88.67	98^th	1067	90.8%
2016	80.06	188^th	1053	82.1%
2017	91.43	69^th	1056	93.5%
2018	92.65	56^th	1054	94.7%
2019	89.82	91^st	1130	91.9%
2021	95.46	52^nd	1107	95.3%
2022	89.90	104^th	1169	91.1%
2023	92.72	81^st	1169	93.1%
2024	90.81	97^th	1168	91.7%

See the entire list of Washington Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Henry David Thoreau Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	74.22	57^th	252	77.4%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Henry David Thoreau Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	83.48	61^st	637	90.4%
2019	69.35	116^th	566	79.5%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Henry David Thoreau Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	69.01	253^rd	1024	75.3%

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

Rank History for Female students at Henry David Thoreau Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	89.49	78^th	1004	92.2%
2019	87.77	98^th	1068	90.8%
2021	95.19	49^th	1008	95.1%
2022	90.04	93^rd	1100	91.5%
2023	94.00	48^th	1094	95.6%
2024	93.83	52^nd	1093	95.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Henry David Thoreau Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	93.17	36^th	999	96.4%
2019	90.05	79^th	1075	92.7%
2021	94.74	56^th	1025	94.5%
2022	88.00	114^th	1113	89.8%
2023	89.52	103^rd	1099	90.6%
2024	86.92	127^th	1099	88.4%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Henry David Thoreau Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	88.79	7^th	169	95.9%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Henry David Thoreau Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	64.55	205^th	651	68.5%

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

Rank History for White students at Henry David Thoreau Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	85.22	76^th	833	90.9%
2019	83.09	137^th	1027	86.7%
2021	86.35	105^th	943	88.9%
2022	81.85	152^nd	1031	85.3%
2023	85.39	118^th	1011	88.3%
2024	83.43	136^th	1009	86.5%

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: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Finn Hill is a great community with wonderful parents & kids that deserve much more from Thoreau Elementary. The principal Mrs. Mallon cares more about being under budget than anything else. The parents don't feel that they are heard, so they choose to not get involved with the school. Bullying continues to happen and get pushed under the rug in hopes that the parents will forget. She is unfriendly and is really good at turning around a conflict into the parents problem. Not only does she enjoy having large classrooms (34 students), but doing what's best for the children is not a priority or concern. The parents won't make a stand & continue to bad mouth their experiences instead of making it heard. The truth hurts & a change needs to be made from the top. If you like negative reinforcement than this is the school for you. Take it from me, don't go there! Several families & facility are thankful they have left and I urge to do the same. It's sad because the staff & children deserve much more. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Henry David Thoreau Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	537	7	22	5	3	n/a	n/a	0	574
1989	585	6	27	4	3	n/a	n/a	0	625
1990	576	7	33	2	2	n/a	n/a	0	620
1991	596	6	35	9	3	n/a	n/a	0	649
1992	608	7	45	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	669
1993	570	6	42	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	630
1994	567	6	37	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	624
1995	493	13	44	5	6	n/a	n/a	0	561
1996	493	13	44	5	6	n/a	n/a	0	561
1997	467	12	44	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	532
1998	470	17	45	8	4	n/a	n/a	0	544
1999	449	17	41	8	4	n/a	n/a	0	519
2000	443	16	31	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	499
2001	429	12	26	8	3	n/a	n/a	0	478
2002	368	18	22	20	3	n/a	n/a	0	431
2003	368	18	22	20	3	n/a	n/a	0	431
2004	339	21	18	20	5	n/a	n/a	0	403
2005	281	18	13	23	3	n/a	n/a	0	338
2006	260	22	16	20	2	n/a	n/a	6	326
2007	253	21	21	18	2	n/a	n/a	11	326
2008	285	22	24	17	2	n/a	n/a	14	364
2009	269	15	34	25	5	n/a	n/a	19	367
2010	283	14	42	24	2	n/a	n/a	24	389
2011	283	10	43	29	1	0	11	0	377
2012	264	7	39	26	0	1	18	0	355
2013	191	5	28	22	1	0	21	0	268
2014	199	7	36	15	2	0	25	0	284
2015	188	4	31	22	0	0	32	0	277
2016	231	4	38	38	1	2	40	0	354
2017	265	5	64	42	2	0	48	0	426
2018	281	3	74	50	1	0	53	0	462
2019	284	4	79	49	1	0	54	0	471
2020	285	3	77	53	1	1	60	0	480
2021	249	2	91	46	1	1	59	0	449
2022	225	4	77	43	0	3	59	0	411
2023	224	8	85	44	3	2	43	0	409
2024	233	9	91	50	1	3	42	0	429

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 Henry David Thoreau Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	574	25.0	22.9	0
1989	625	27.0	23.1	n/a
1990	620	29.0	21.3	0
1991	649	28.7	22.6	n/a
1992	669	30.2	22.1	n/a
1993	630	28.5	22.1	n/a
1994	624	27.7	22.5	n/a
1995	561	26.1	21.5	n/a
1996	561	26.1	21.5	n/a
1997	532	24.7	21.5	n/a
1998	544	23.9	22.8	n/a
1999	519	25.0	20.8	n/a
2000	499	23.9	20.9	n/a
2001	478	24.4	19.6	n/a
2002	431	23.4	18.4	17.4
2003	431	23.4	18.4	17.4
2004	403	22.0	18.3	19.6
2005	338	22.4	15.1	21.9
2006	326	19.2	17.0	21.9
2007	326	19.9	16.4	19.7
2008	364	21.2	17.2	18.3
2009	367	21.2	17.3	21.6
2010	389	21.6	17.9	26
2011	377	20.2	18.6	13.8
2012	355	18.9	18.6	23.1
2013	268	15.0	17.8	13.4
2014	284	n/a	n/a	13.7
2015	277	18.0	15.3	14.1
2016	354	19.0	18.6	19.2
2017	426	25.8	16.4	14.6
2018	462	29.6	15.5	13
2019	471	26.8	17.5	13.8
2020	480	28.2	16.9	12.7
2021	449	30.5	14.6	8.7
2022	411	27.5	14.9	7.8
2023	409	27.3	14.9	13.2
2024	429	27.0	15.8	14.9

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 Henry David Thoreau Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	574	25.0	22.9	0
1989	625	27.0	23.1	n/a
1990	620	29.0	21.3	0
1991	649	28.7	22.6	n/a
1992	669	30.2	22.1	n/a
1993	630	28.5	22.1	n/a
1994	624	27.7	22.5	n/a
1995	561	26.1	21.5	n/a
1996	561	26.1	21.5	n/a
1997	532	24.7	21.5	n/a
1998	544	23.9	22.8	n/a
1999	519	25.0	20.8	n/a
2000	499	23.9	20.9	n/a
2001	478	24.4	19.6	n/a
2002	431	23.4	18.4	17.4
2003	431	23.4	18.4	17.4
2004	403	22.0	18.3	19.6
2005	338	22.4	15.1	21.9
2006	326	19.2	17.0	21.9
2007	326	19.9	16.4	19.7
2008	364	21.2	17.2	18.3
2009	367	21.2	17.3	21.6
2010	389	21.6	17.9	26
2011	377	20.2	18.6	13.8
2012	355	18.9	18.6	23.1
2013	268	15.0	17.8	13.4
2014	284	n/a	n/a	13.7
2015	277	18.0	15.3	14.1
2016	354	19.0	18.6	19.2
2017	426	25.8	16.4	14.6
2018	462	29.6	15.5	13
2019	471	26.8	17.5	13.8
2020	480	28.2	16.9	12.7
2021	449	30.5	14.6	8.7
2022	411	27.5	14.9	7.8
2023	409	27.3	14.9	13.2
2024	429	27.0	15.8	14.9

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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