Sacajawea Elementary School

9501 20th Avenue Northeast

School District

Seattle Public Schools
Grade

PK, K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:12
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 February 17, 2025

This school is a treasure, a model of equity, community, and excellence in action. This school is a place where the kids really SHINE!As a magnet Special Education school, 40% of the school population receives SpEd services. The administration and community have built something truly inclusive and incredible, bridging the gaps between abilities and ages with the Buddy Program - where each student is assigned a “Nest” classroom with kids of varying grades and abilities, and “Buddies” who are either older or younger depending on grade. My kids’ favorite days each month are Buddy Days!My children have thrived in this neuroaffirming environment with a community that prides itself on its diversity and inclusivity.Sacajawea is truly a treasure.
Submitted by parent on April 27, 2021

Teachers and staff at this small and mighty school are dedicated to our students. I have seen this in many settings, including meetings with teachers and staff. The strength of our school community is inspiring. Principal Friesen leads with professionalism, competence, and compassion. The teachers my child has had have been spectacular.
Submitted by parent on February 05, 2020

There were many things we liked about the school, strong community and smaller size. However once the instruction was ineffective at 4th grade and the principal did not address the issues we moved our kids to a different school. Our kids have been thriving at the new school. We see what a huge difference in the instruction and teacher communication. It was a hard decision, but we don't regret leaving Sacajawea.
Submitted by parent on January 25, 2020

This school has an amazing community, and is very small. The rating for this school is extremely unfair and unjust. Its unfortunate that parents will judge this school on these scores with out actually visiting or learning about this school.
Submitted by parent on September 13, 2019

Sacajawea is a wonderful community with a lot of heart.
Submitted by parent on February 02, 2018

My son is in kindergarten this year, and he adores it. He is so excited to go to school everyday, to see his teacher, gym teacher, art teacher, and even teachers that he just sees occasionally. Every adult in the school knows his name. I love the small community. As parents, we feel appreciated and heard. He entered kindergarten loving to be read to, but afraid of the idea of learning to read. He is doing wonderfully and writing his own stories now! Not perfectly, but he's no longer afraid to try. The art teacher is so creative and engages the kids with each project. The gym teacher is loved by all students. It's impressive how they integrate special needs learners in many ways. The volunteer system is well established for parents. The PTA is strong and effective. We love it!
Submitted by parent on January 18, 2018

My children have been students at Sacajawea for 4 years now and have been determined by the school district to be Advanced Learners. They are getting the academic support that they need and are thriving in all areas. As a parent volunteer, I see first-hand how the school's staff works very hard and intentionally to support all of the students to help them thrive. As a small school, the teachers are able to support all of their students individually. The school's culture and community has become such a positive, sincere, and wonderful thing. There is so much equity work that is being done, and achievement gaps are closing, which is awesome. The school may not look as pretty as the more popular schools, but on the inside, it is an amazing school where my children are learning to not only succeed academically, but as people, as well. Bullying is not tolerated, any discipline is positive, families are supported as well as their students, and students of all backgrounds are thriving here. Amazing special needs program, preschool program, and a balanced education (arts, science, etc). I am so glad that we opted to send our children to Sacajawea!
Submitted by parent on January 17, 2018

Sacajawea has been exactly what our family needed. The school is small, which was perfect for us, feeling completely overwhelmed about sending our Kindergartner to a school where they would get swallowed up on the 1st day and never want to go back. When you walk into Sacajawea people know who you are and they know who your child is. The teachers and staff are amazing! There is a strong PTA with great events like the Math and Science Fair with an egg catapult launch for all to participate in. Our grants committee just won the school a grant that will provide all of our 3rd-5th grade students with one-to-one computer access, while also increasing the availability of computers for our K-2nd graders. The school has a true sense of community and embraces the SHINE philosophy where we all want to be: Safe, Helpful, Inclusive, Neighborly and Engaged. Every year the school picks a country for an area of focus and our amazing equity committee leads the way with helping our students, parents and faculty/staff better understand the cultures and diversity of the area as well as each other. We have a heritage potluck in the fall where we all come together to learn about each other and EAT! Sacajawea has provided us with educational excellence and a community of students, parents, faculty and staff that we truly enjoy and appreciate!
Submitted by parent on October 17, 2016

One of the best science & math programs we've encountered. Great staff.The community diversity is great in the area, and love the neighborhood. Lots of parks and trails for exploring with the family
Submitted by parent on September 16, 2015

Sacajawea is great. We have 2 kids there and both of us feel like there are many ways we can contribute our time and skills with the other parents to add experiences for the kids like parent-led art, culture, science, and field trips. Last weekend, it felt like half the school came out to help assemble the new playground structure together. And other parents brought food and drinks!A good number of kids at Sac have tested into ALO/Spectrum, including ours. The school provides support by allowing faster learners to learn with older kids in mixed-grade classes (2nd is mixed with 3rd, 4th with 5th). This year, the school will also switch to a high-school class structure, where kids move from class to class vs. staying in a homeroom. This may allow even more latitude per kid and per subject. Some kids excel at math, but struggle to write much. We hope this class arrangement will accommodate those kids.I just asked my kids what they like most about Sac. My daughter says: "I like that I get to learn." My son says "PE!" Mr. Walker is the best gym teacher I have ever met, and I see Mr. Dickerson quizzing his 5th graders math facts as they run laps in the playground.Sacajawea also has a strong artistic community and history. Once an art-choice school, Sacajawea parents now teach art to the kids as Art Docents, culminating with an annual musical performance and a spring arts festival. Each year's art program highlights a different culture each year.To me, Sacajawea feels like a small public school with the parent involvement and creativity of a co-op school and the caliber of teaching/organization found at a private school. Most of us do chip in $200-$1000 a year , so I guess it is a blend. As a parent, I have really enjoyed getting to be a part of the community. The Dad's started a club to support PTA fundraising goals each year. Many of the parents host dinner and game parties. And there is the annual themed party with lots of laughing and oohhs and ahhs over the craft projects the kids display there. My understanding is that we accept new kids that want to come from outside our reference area. The extra students bring in more public money that we can put towards art instruction and tutors, and our teacher ratio is low enough to handle the extra kids.We just came up with our a new cheer: "Sacajawea: This is OUR school!"
Submitted by parent on June 16, 2015

I can't say enough wonderful things about this small, sweet, diverse, and excellent school. We moved to Seattle last year and enrolled our child in another more highly rated school, i.e., with higher test scores, but soon found that it was a poor fit for our child and our educational values. I had heard great things about Sacajawea and we decided to switch after we observed both kindergartens and loved what we saw. This school is a rare gem in the current public education landscape--whole child centered, personal, art- and social justice-oriented; it is also ethnically and economically diverse, which is hard to find in North Seattle. Our son had a wonderful kindergarten teacher (they are both fabulous), who offered a rich and developmentally appropriate curriculum with daily singing, creative movement, art, and free choice, alongside skills development. Our son loved the physical education (Mr. Walker is an amazing educator!), library, and technology programs, as well as regular instruction by music teachers from the community. The rotating annual focus on a particular continent allows for rich school-wide programming with a global focus, which is particularly meaningful in a school that serves many children with ties to other parts of the world. We are so happy to have found this school!
Submitted by parent on November 02, 2012

I have 2 kids in this school, and this is our 4th year there. The instruction has been excellent and both my kids are really happy there. There is an Advanced Learning Opportunities program (ALO) to challenge kids that need extra challenges, and a reading specialist, Dr. Davis (who has a master s degree in reading disabilities and a Ph.D. in cognition and learning theory, specializing in linguistic areas for kids who need extra help reading - how great is that?). Dr. Davis does more than helping just the kids, though - she also helps the teachers by finding better reading assessments than the school district typically offers). There are so many after school activities offered for the kids to do (an after school enrichment program every Tuesday, plus choir, chess, and girls on the run every week). Also, there is an amazing number of parent volunteers for a such small, intimate school. This year, a special education classroom opened as well. I've heard the new parents describe Sacajawea as a "hidden gem" of a school. I agree.
Submitted by parent on November 01, 2012

We are the reference school in the sought after Maple Leaf District. Sacajawea provides so much more than quality academics. Our teachers, staff, parents and students are all committed to building a community in Maple Leaf which is strong, vibrant and well rounded. There is zero tolerance for bullying and many opportunities for students to mentor other students. It is a great place for a gifted child to spread their wings and a struggling student to build a strong foundation. We have it all--arts, technology, physical education and a great teaching staff.
Submitted by parent on December 05, 2011

All three of my children have attended this small (260+ students) school with two still attending in our family's eleventh year here. There's been a shift to neighborhood families attending as opposed to families from other north Seattle neighborhoods. Highlights are the fall Science Fair and the Spring Arts Festival. Teacher conferences this year focused on what is being done for my children based on their personalities and needs and I've been very impressed this year. The principal visits classrooms daily and holds monthly "parent coffee chats". Our newest teacher is in her third year here. Overall, Sac has been a great neighborhood school for our family!
Submitted by parent on June 01, 2011

When we arrived at Sacajawea, it had a fabulous art program, ESL, and a great parent volunteer base. The next year the art teacher was lost (offered a rediculous contract) and families started leaving. A few years later another art teacher has been "lost", and now the individual class room teachers will lead art period. When problems surface, the principle is passive and a few sqeaky wheeled teachers get their way ... and not necessarily in the best interest of the children. The school was at 300 students, and now its below 240, as families continue to leave early. Some teachers are fabulous, but this year we consider a "lost year" with an inept teacher. I've heard the same comment from other parents with other teachers. More programs have been cut this year. Many of the families who have left were regular parent volunteers..We will be another of those families.
Submitted by parent on April 01, 2008

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Submitted by parent on March 06, 2008

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