Best Public Schools in Zip Code 98356

The 98356 zip code in Washington is home to two schools: Morton Elementary School and Morton Junior-Senior High, both part of the Morton School District. While Morton Junior-Senior High has seen significant improvements in its statewide ranking, reaching a 4-star rating, Morton Elementary has consistently underperformed on standardized test scores compared to state averages.

Morton Junior-Senior High has made positive strides, moving from 161st out of 434 Washington high schools in 2021-2022 to 120th out of 442 in 2022-2023. However, the school still lags behind state averages in key areas like 10th-grade proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math. In contrast, Morton Elementary has consistently low test scores, with proficiency rates ranging from 28.57% to 53.57% in ELA and 21.43% to 46.88% in Math, compared to state averages of 48.09% to 53.6% in ELA and 38.82% to 52.5% in Math.

Both schools have high percentages of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, with Morton Junior-Senior High at 64.77% and Morton Elementary at 55.64%. This suggests the need for additional resources and support to address the unique challenges faced by economically disadvantaged students. Additionally, the difference in spending per student between the two schools ($16,836 at Morton Elementary and $20,460 at Morton Junior-Senior High) may be an area to explore further to understand how these funds are allocated and their impact on student outcomes.