Laurelhurst Elementary School

4530 46th Avenue Northeast

School District

Seattle Public Schools
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:14
Type

public

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on May 17, 2023

Every school has its advantages and disadvantages. The school of choice is family dependent and variable considerations are taken into place. The negative reviews should not deter you from learning more about Laurelhurst Elementary School. It is located in a special neighborhood. Some families have pulled their students to go elsewhere due to different reasons (experience, gossip, negatively toned blogs). If you are looking for a school with an incredibly strong and supportive PTA Board and Membership, a sense of community where your concerns as a parent/guardian can be heard, and where we all want to nurture each child to reach their full potential academically, socially, artistically, in athletics, and other extracurricular activities, then consider this school. The teachers work well with each other. While the effects of the pandemic linger, the school's potential is exciting. I am proud to be sending my child to Laurelhurst Elementary.
Submitted by parent on May 17, 2023

The most important things for my kids to get out of elementary school, are a strong foundation for reading, writing and math skills, in addition to excellent social, emotional learning skills. Laurelhurst meets all of these priorities, especially the social emotional learning piece due to the special education program. No school is perfect, including this one, but I can’t imagine a better place for my kids.
Submitted by parent on May 17, 2023

We have had a wonderful experience with Laurelhurst Elementary school. The longevity of staff speaks to their dedication to our students, and the teachers clearly work well together. The PTA is very active which allows for benefits above what the district provides including extra staffing (full time librarian, reading specialist), and funds for materials. There is a strong sense of community and it is easy to get to know a lot of families between PTA events and time on the playground after school. The after school care program is a big plus as well. Most importantly, my daughter loves it!
Submitted by parent on May 14, 2023

This neighborhood school is such a GEM! The community is amazing, with so much parental support and incredible leadership with the current beloved Principal Snyder and fantastic teachers. The kindergarten teachers are the absolute best of the best, my child adores school because of them. The PTA and funding/support is robust allowing more specialists including reading, enrichment, full time librarian, counselors, and fun events! At parent events it is just non-stop great buzz, people constantly talking about how thrilled they are with the school. There are opportunities for extra academic challenge for students who are wanting it, including a super fun MATH challenge program, and Science Fairs, etc, while also we are lucky to have PTA funding to support reading and special individualized support programs, a counselor etc. It's a smaller Seattle elementary school and people feel like they know each other, the playground/lunchroom staff pay close attention and notice and care for students on the playground - it's comforting having such caring staff looking over the students who genuinely look out for them. It's a tight knit, diverse, thoughtful community who looks out for one another and involved parents who care about supporting all students needs, not just their own! On sunny days many people walk to get their students and we all hangout on the playground and enjoy time together. Living close by makes it so easy to build those connections and not be so isolated in our city. Not to mention people help drive each-others kids to/from school and bday parties, volunteer, donate books/art supplies, if there is a need of any student, many other families are eager to bridge those gaps. An inspiring community! We were very picky about selecting a school to attend, and considered the many private school options available in our region, but I am just so thrilled we choose to trust and invest in our local neighborhood school!
Submitted by parent on March 08, 2022

I knew Laurelhurst Elementary was the place for us the moment I walked in the door. The teachers and staff really know the children and families, which was evident by the warm and welcoming environment. All four of my children have been happy and motivated to learn while at this school!
Submitted by parent on December 14, 2021

Our daughter transferred to Laurelhurst elementary towards then of 1st grade in the 2020. The school has been a great community to be a part of and get to know. The teachers and staff have been great to work with and have been very communicative and engaged.
Submitted by parent on December 13, 2021

My daughter started kindergarten at Laurelhurst in the Fall of 2019. As an educator myself, I was immediately impressed by the amount of collaboration among teachers at each grade level. Strong collaboration is a sign of a strong school community, one where educators work together to meet the needs of ALL students. In kindergarten my daughter participated in Kindergarten Exchange, where she would travel from her homeroom to the other Kindergarten teacher's classroom to learn social studies. Both teachers on the kindergarten team knew her as a learner and cared about her as a child. In first grade (in the height of a global pandemic) she also met (virtually) with both first grade teachers. This made going back to school in-person an easy transition. She knew and felt known by many teachers and many friends. Being a part of a small school has many advantages. She is known by every teacher at every grade level she has been a part of. She is known by the librarian (Mr. Brown), the computer science teacher (Mr. Klein), the PE teacher (Mr. Barnes), her music teacher (Ms. Crabtree), Mr. Snyder (the principal) and many other support staff. The feeling of community at Laurelhurst is strong. The school itself has many strong programs that are supported by the robust PTA. Now that she is in second grade, my daughter has math enrichment with a math tutor at least one time a week. Our music teacher is supported by the PTA in a long-time partnership with UW (https://music.washington.edu/music-laurelhurst). The PTA also funds a full-time librarian, a full-time school counselor and a part-time reading specialist. These programs are invaluable to students and families. We feel so lucky to be a part of such a special place in our neighborhood community.
Submitted by parent on December 11, 2021

Laurelhurst elementary has been an incredible community to be a part of. The teachers and staff have been great partners in our child's education and the parents and kids have been very welcoming (we moved in 2020 and enrolled our daughter at the end of first grade.)
Submitted by parent on December 08, 2021

We have spent the last 7 years at Laurelhurst Elementary with two children. Every single teacher we have had has been phenomenal. Both of our kids are very different learners, and the teachers were able to identify specific needs for both to provide extra help where needed and to provide more advanced work as well. The current leadership is in great hands. The Principal, Tim Snyder, cares about the students, learning and the community. The PTA is able to support programs like Art and Music that the district doesn't fund. This has truly been a special place for our family where our kids will leave better people, and prepared for the next step in their education.
Submitted by parent on December 07, 2021

We have been so happy at Laurelhurst. Even through the pandemic our daughter’s teacher did an amazing job! Such a wonderful school community!
Submitted by parent on December 07, 2021

Our family has three children that all attended Laurelhurst Elementary School. Overall, our experience was wonderful. The teachers were happy and motivated, and we felt like our children received a good education. We connected with the Laurelhurst community through the school, and our children made neighborhood friends. There was a rough patch at the school when a new principal soured the school community and upset many teachers, but that principal has since left. The new principal has returned the school to a better state. I highly recommend Laurelhurst Elementary school!
Submitted by parent on December 07, 2021

The teachers at Laurelhurst Elementary are incredible! My first grader has had such a wonderful experience due to the amazing administration and teachers at the school. She is excited to go to school everyday which is such a joy to see. The PTA and everyone at the school are so dedicated to making the school inclusive, equitable, and a loving safe environment for every student.
Submitted by parent on December 06, 2021

My daughter was a new 3rd grader at Laurelhurst this fall and wasn't thrilled about starting somewhere new (especially during a pandemic). However from the get-go her teacher, Miss Sullivan, has made our daughter feel so welcome to the school community. Miss Sullivan is a phenomenal teacher who is incredibly engaging, creative and fostering a wonderful learning environment for her students. It seems on par with a private school education and is in the neighborhood! She is thrilled with all of her supplementary teachers as well (working with Miss Melissa in a small, advanced math group, PE, Computers and Music). Overall we have been impressed with the COVID-protocols, the communication from our principal and seeing the joy our daughter has going to school everyday. We look forward to feeling more engaged ourselves in the school community but that will just take time due to the pandemic.
Submitted by parent on May 17, 2020

7 years ago, we moved to Laurelhurst. 6 years ago, my son entered LES. He will graduate from LES in July. Our daily life in LES is good. Teachers, staffs and community all involve and build a wonderful educational and learning experience. We really appreciate LES.
Submitted by parent on April 29, 2020

Very involved school community and teachers contribute to an excellent educational experience.
Submitted by parent on April 29, 2020

Laurelhurst school is an excellent public neighborhood school. My family has been a part of the school for 8 years. The staff are well trained, knowledgeable, friendly, creative, and dedicated to the well-being of each Laurelhurst student. The PTA is devoted to enriching academic services. The Laurelhurst community (adult volunteers) devote countless hours to support educators whether is it working one-on-one with students or organizing unique school events like science fair, STEAM, nights, assemblies, concerts, carnivals, the list goes on. Laurelhurst is a special school where students not only get a strong academic education but they also get exposure to so many other important opportunities in art, music, technology, field trips, guest speakers to name a few. Laurelhurst really does strive to educate the whole-child.
Submitted by parent on April 28, 2020

Very high - my kids have received an excellent education and the teachers and staff are wonderful.
Submitted by parent on April 26, 2020

This is our sixth year at Laurelhurst and we love the school. The teachers are dedicated to the academic and emotional development of their students. Very little teacher turnover. The principal communicates well with parents. Welcoming community with supportive parent volunteers.
Submitted by parent on March 10, 2020

My daughter's kindergarten year has been wonderful. We are happy she is here!
Submitted by parent on February 14, 2019

We have had a great experience so far. Zero complaints and our daughter is thriving!