Julia Butler Hansen Elementary

Julia Butler Hansen Elementary, a moderately sized elementary campus in OLYMPIA, Washington, operated by Olympia School District, instructs 412 students, covering grades pre-K through 5.

Across the 20 schools in Olympia School District (9,386 students total), Julia Butler Hansen Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, Julia Butler Hansen Elementary shows that 47% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Beyond that, the school lists 20% Hispanic, 14% multiracial, 6% Black, 5% Asian. That is considerably less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 72%.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 28 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 14.6:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 17.3:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Around 54% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Thurston County (around 43%), the school's rate is somewhat above typical.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Julia Butler Hansen Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 44.2%; this one delivers 44.1%.

Across the wider county, Thurston County reports that median household income runs about $96,563, roughly 39% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 6% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Julia Butler Hansen Elementary is one of 86 public schools in Thurston County (combined enrollment of about 44,412 students).

Thurgood Marshall Middle School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.2 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Julia Butler Hansen Elementary. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Julia Butler Hansen Elementary at 6th of 8; the average score across the group is 47.0%.

Geographically, the school is in an inner-city area.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count contracted 9%: 452 students in 2018 compared to 412 in 2025. The White share of enrollment contracted from 54% to 47% over that span. Class-load math has narrowed: from 16.2:1 in 2018 to 14.6:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, posts here usually surface around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.