North Hill Elementary

North Hill Elementary is a mid-tier K-5 school in Des Moines, Washington, one of the schools within Highline School District. The school hosts 518 students in grades pre-K through 5. That puts it 36% larger than the typical public school in Washington, which averages around 380 students.

Highline School District runs 36 schools in total, collectively educating 18,072 students. North Hill Elementary is one of those campuses.

Looking at the student body, North Hill Elementary lists that the largest single group is White at 35%, but no single group is in the majority. Other groups include 29% Hispanic, 17% multiracial, 10% Asian, 8% Black. By comparison, King County as a whole is about 55% White, so the school skews meaningfully less White than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, North Hill Elementary has 31 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 16.7:1. That tracks the state average closely. An estimated 46% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. By comparison, King County runs at roughly 38%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat above the surrounding baseline.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), North Hill Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 49.4%; this one delivers 59.5%.

Across the wider county, census data for King County shows median household earnings sit near $124,746, roughly 57% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across King County's 544 public schools (combined enrollment of about 278,492 students), North Hill Elementary is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Maritime High School, around 0.2 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts North Hill Elementary at 1st of 5; the average score across the group is 37.6%.

Geographically, the school is in a commuter-belt area.

Five-year trend. North Hill Elementary's enrollment has shrank 14% since 2018, when it stood at 605 (now 518). Over the same period, the White share contracted from 47% to 35%. Class-load math has tightened: from 19.0:1 in 2018 to 16.7:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for North Hill Elementary typically covers pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.