Is Martin Luther King Junior Elementary a good school?

Martin Luther King Junior Elementary ranks in the bottom 5.3% of Washington elementary schools.

How many students attend Martin Luther King Junior Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 528 students attended Martin Luther King Junior Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Martin Luther King Junior Elementary?

Students at Martin Luther King Junior Elementary are 90% Hispanic, 7% White, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of Martin Luther King Junior Elementary attend?

Students who attend Martin Luther King Junior Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Lewis & Clark Middle School High : Davis High School High : Eisenhower High School

Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

Summary:

Martin Luther King Junior Elementary is a public elementary school in Yakima, Washington, serving 513 students in grades K-5. The school stands out for its high percentage of Hispanic students (89.28%) compared to nearby schools, as well as its consistently low academic performance, ranking in the bottom 10-15% of elementary schools in the state.

Despite relatively high per-student spending ranging from $16,660 to $19,030, Martin Luther King Junior Elementary struggles to improve student achievement. Its proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Math, and Science are well below the state and Yakima School District averages, often by 20-30 percentage points. The school also has an extremely high percentage of students (over 90%) who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

Compared to nearby schools like McKinley Elementary, Terrace Heights Elementary, and McClure Elementary, Martin Luther King Junior Elementary consistently performs worse, suggesting unique challenges at this campus. The persistent low performance and widening achievement gaps raise concerns and indicate the need for a comprehensive review of the school's instructional practices, resource allocation, and support systems to address the unique needs of this predominantly Hispanic and economically disadvantaged student population.

Detail:

Public K-5

2000 S 18th St
Yakima, WA 98903-3941

(509) 573-1100

District: Yakima School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1106^th of 1,168 Washington Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,030

Students who attend Martin Luther King Junior Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Lewis & Clark Middle School
High:	Davis High School
	Eisenhower High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.5

Number of students: 528

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

90.3%

White:

6.8%

African American:

1.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 94.7%

See top rated Washington elementary schools

Compare Martin Luther King Junior Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Martin Luther King Junior Elementary ranks worse than 94.7% of elementary schools in Washington. It also ranks 13^th among 14 ranked elementary schools in the Yakima School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.85. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (90.3%), White (6.8%), African American (1.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 94.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Martin Luther King Junior Elementary is 14.5. 10 elementary schools in the Yakima School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Martin Luther King Junior Elementary employs 36.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Martin Luther King Junior Elementary is $19,030. 11 elementary schools in the Yakima School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Martin Luther King Junior Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Martin Luther King Junior Elementary 1106^th of 1168 Washington public elementary schools. (See Martin Luther King Junior 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:

Yakima School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Yakima School District 230^th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	3.76	1010^th	1026	1.6%
2005	4.80	1007^th	1031	2.3%
2006	5.84	1028^th	1051	2.2%
2007	4.09	1048^th	1069	2.0%
2008	3.82	1050^th	1067	1.6%
2009	9.53	1022^nd	1072	4.7%
2010	4.19	1076^th	1088	1.1%
2011	3.91	1079^th	1092	1.2%
2012	6.02	1076^th	1097	1.9%
2013	3.78	1097^th	1106	0.8%
2015	14.62	958^th	1067	10.2%
2016	5.34	1023^rd	1053	2.8%
2017	2.58	1048^th	1056	0.8%
2018	11.03	978^th	1054	7.2%
2019	12.82	1023^rd	1130	9.5%
2021	7.64	1075^th	1107	2.9%
2022	16.30	1022^nd	1169	12.6%
2023	14.99	1043^rd	1169	10.8%
2024	8.85	1106^th	1168	5.3%

See the entire list of Washington Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	39.94	189^th	333	43.2%
2019	25.70	203^rd	248	18.1%
2022	34.81	136^th	213	36.2%
2023	27.80	184^th	254	27.6%
2024	22.32	265^th	320	17.2%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	19.72	570^th	637	10.5%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	28.04	668^th	835	20.0%
2019	26.51	803^rd	979	18.0%
2021	15.37	805^th	854	5.7%
2022	28.85	801^st	1019	21.4%
2023	27.70	804^th	1013	20.6%
2024	15.67	940^th	1024	8.2%

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

Rank History for Migrant students at Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	38.10	44^th	61	27.9%
2019	49.86	25^th	64	60.9%
2022	58.31	13^th	45	71.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	13.01	919^th	1004	8.5%
2019	18.94	912^th	1068	14.6%
2021	6.88	994^th	1008	1.4%
2022	15.06	981^st	1100	10.8%
2023	21.18	892^nd	1094	18.5%
2024	11.00	1026^th	1093	6.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	12.07	926^th	999	7.3%
2019	10.36	1012^th	1075	5.9%
2021	8.63	988^th	1025	3.6%
2022	17.79	963^rd	1113	13.5%
2023	8.84	1061^st	1099	3.5%
2024	7.05	1066^th	1099	3.0%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	34.55	484^th	697	30.6%
2021	18.28	449^th	501	10.4%
2022	32.89	474^th	694	31.7%
2023	26.99	493^rd	633	22.1%
2024	16.66	588^th	651	9.7%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Hispanic 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%

Reviews:

by a student
Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Currently a Junior at A.C. Davis high school. Looking back at my Elementary years 1st- 5th grade. I say at least all the teachers I had were excellent. They did their job correctly. I may have not been the BEST student but that's my fault because I slacked somewhat. The lowest number I ever got there was a 3, the rest were mainly 4's and 5's :). So maybe it's the students? Back then, we were in the top three elementary schools. Also, most of the kids in that area are Hispanics/ Mexicans. It can be difficult when you're parents speak complete Spanish at home or broken English. Than going to school where you learn a complete different language. Also, I say education is based on what moves you. Maybe these kid's don't have enough motivation. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	129	21	2	130	8	n/a	n/a	290
1989	191	35	4	184	10	n/a	n/a	424
1990	185	31	2	193	8	n/a	n/a	419
1991	217	28	1	230	5	n/a	n/a	481
1992	213	20	1	257	3	n/a	n/a	494
1993	186	34	2	220	7	n/a	n/a	449
1994	212	18	6	239	11	n/a	n/a	486
1995	183	16	2	232	11	n/a	n/a	444
1996	183	16	2	232	11	n/a	n/a	444
1997	145	9	2	263	14	n/a	n/a	433
1998	139	7	2	304	17	n/a	n/a	469
1999	126	9	3	311	12	n/a	n/a	461
2000	123	14	2	334	6	n/a	n/a	479
2001	133	11	3	333	6	n/a	n/a	486
2002	112	6	3	395	12	n/a	n/a	528
2003	112	6	3	395	12	n/a	n/a	528
2004	96	11	3	406	14	n/a	n/a	530
2005	94	9	2	392	14	n/a	n/a	511
2006	71	7	2	380	16	n/a	n/a	476
2007	77	10	2	381	12	n/a	n/a	482
2008	69	12	1	377	10	n/a	n/a	469
2009	68	13	1	426	12	n/a	n/a	520
2010	58	12	0	482	13	n/a	n/a	565
2011	48	8	0	498	6	0	8	568
2012	49	4	0	521	7	0	7	588
2013	46	5	1	525	0	0	9	586
2014	40	7	1	521	3	0	5	577
2015	42	2	0	555	3	0	4	606
2016	39	3	0	551	3	0	5	601
2017	39	3	0	558	4	0	6	610
2018	38	4	0	572	8	0	4	626
2019	40	5	2	528	6	0	3	584
2020	49	2	0	535	3	2	6	597
2021	41	2	0	527	3	0	5	578
2022	30	4	0	495	1	0	3	533
2023	45	5	0	458	0	0	5	513
2024	36	9	0	477	1	1	4	528

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 Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	290	12.0	24.1	0
1989	424	27.0	15.7	n/a
1990	419	29.9	14.0	0
1991	481	30.2	15.9	n/a
1992	494	30.0	16.4	n/a
1993	449	34.1	13.2	n/a
1994	486	33.1	14.7	n/a
1995	444	31.7	14.0	n/a
1996	444	31.7	14.0	n/a
1997	433	32.7	13.2	n/a
1998	469	29.4	16.0	n/a
1999	461	26.5	17.4	n/a
2000	479	26.6	18.0	n/a
2001	486	26.9	18.1	n/a
2002	528	31.1	17.0	89.6
2003	528	31.1	17.0	89.6
2004	530	32.0	16.6	90.9
2005	511	32.1	15.9	93.2
2006	476	30.6	15.6	95.4
2007	482	30.9	15.6	92.1
2008	469	32.5	14.4	93.2
2009	520	32.5	16.0	96
2010	565	30.6	18.4	97.3
2011	568	32.2	17.6	84.3
2012	588	32.8	17.9	94.2
2013	586	32.4	18.0	97.6
2014	577	n/a	n/a	96.4
2015	606	39.0	15.5	90.4
2016	601	35.0	17.1	93.5
2017	610	36.2	16.8	87.7
2018	626	34.8	17.9	81.6
2019	584	34.1	17.1	79.6
2020	597	33.2	17.9	92.1
2021	578	34.8	16.5	89.6
2022	533	37.0	14.3	91
2023	513	36.9	13.8	93.6
2024	528	36.3	14.5	94.7

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 Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	290	12.0	24.1	0
1989	424	27.0	15.7	n/a
1990	419	29.9	14.0	0
1991	481	30.2	15.9	n/a
1992	494	30.0	16.4	n/a
1993	449	34.1	13.2	n/a
1994	486	33.1	14.7	n/a
1995	444	31.7	14.0	n/a
1996	444	31.7	14.0	n/a
1997	433	32.7	13.2	n/a
1998	469	29.4	16.0	n/a
1999	461	26.5	17.4	n/a
2000	479	26.6	18.0	n/a
2001	486	26.9	18.1	n/a
2002	528	31.1	17.0	89.6
2003	528	31.1	17.0	89.6
2004	530	32.0	16.6	90.9
2005	511	32.1	15.9	93.2
2006	476	30.6	15.6	95.4
2007	482	30.9	15.6	92.1
2008	469	32.5	14.4	93.2
2009	520	32.5	16.0	96
2010	565	30.6	18.4	97.3
2011	568	32.2	17.6	84.3
2012	588	32.8	17.9	94.2
2013	586	32.4	18.0	97.6
2014	577	n/a	n/a	96.4
2015	606	39.0	15.5	90.4
2016	601	35.0	17.1	93.5
2017	610	36.2	16.8	87.7
2018	626	34.8	17.9	81.6
2019	584	34.1	17.1	79.6
2020	597	33.2	17.9	92.1
2021	578	34.8	16.5	89.6
2022	533	37.0	14.3	91
2023	513	36.9	13.8	93.6
2024	528	36.3	14.5	94.7

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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