McMicken Heights Elementary

McMicken Heights Elementary operates as a medium-sized primary school in SeaTac, Washington, overseen by Highline School District. Current enrollment sits at 484 students spanning grades pre-K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 380 students per school, that is 27% bigger than typical.

Across the 36 schools in Highline School District (18,072 students total), McMicken Heights Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Looking at the student body, McMicken Heights Elementary records that the largest single group is Black at 29%, but no single group is in the majority. Other groups include 28% Hispanic, 21% Asian, 9% White, 7% multiracial. By comparison, King County as a whole is about 7% Black, so the school skews meaningfully more Black than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, McMicken Heights Elementary has 32 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 15.0:1. The state averages around 17.3:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Around 76% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, King County runs at roughly 38%, so the school's eligibility rate is higher than the surrounding baseline.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, McMicken Heights Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 29.2%; this one delivers 34.7%.

In the surrounding community, census data for King County shows median household income runs about $124,746, about 57% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. McMicken Heights Elementary is one of 544 public schools in King County (combined enrollment of about 278,492 students).

Valley View Early Childhood Center is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.8 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around McMicken Heights Elementary. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts McMicken Heights Elementary at 2nd of 8; the average score across the group is 24.5%.

Geographically, the school is in a bedroom-community area.

Looking at the recent track record. McMicken Heights Elementary's enrollment has contracted 17% since 2018, when it stood at 583 (now 484). Over the same period, the White share declined from 15% to 9%. Class-load math has pulled in: from 18.8:1 in 2018 to 15.0:1 in 2025.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.