Henry David Thoreau Elementary

Located at 8224 NE 138th, in Kirkland, Washington, Henry David Thoreau Elementary is a mid-tier elementary-level community that caters to 404 students (grades K through 5), run under Lake Washington School District.

Within Lake Washington School District, which oversees 55 schools and 30,986 students, Henry David Thoreau Elementary is one campus in the system.

Demographically, Henry David Thoreau Elementary lists that White students make up the majority at 55%; the rest is composed of 20% Asian, 12% Hispanic, 11% multiracial. That mix tracks the wider county fairly closely.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 24 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 17.0:1 students per teacher. That tracks the state average closely. An estimated 16% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is south of King County's rate of about 38%.

With demographic context factored in, Henry David Thoreau Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 69.4%; this one delivers 72.2%.

Around the school, community-level numbers for King County indicate median household income runs about $124,746, 57% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 5%. Across King County's 544 public schools (combined enrollment of about 278,492 students), Henry David Thoreau Elementary is one campus in the mix.

Environmental & Adventure School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.4 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Henry David Thoreau Elementary at 3rd of 7; the average score across the group is 67.4%.

The campus sits in a suburban setting.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Henry David Thoreau Elementary has fell 13%, going from 462 students in 2018 to 404 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share contracted from 61% to 55%. Class-load math has widened: from 15.6:1 in 2018 to 17.0:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, posts here usually surface around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.