Metro overview
48 schools ranked · Updated July 26, 2026
These are the schools where raw test performance and decoded performance disagree most. The shift column shows the gap between Achievement Rank and Decoded Rank.
Raw scores are modest, but decoded performance is strong — these schools are doing more than their context predicts.
High raw scores AND high decoded performance — doing more with their context than peer schools at the same level.
Raw scores are high, but the school's advantaged context predicts even higher — raw scores may overstate the school's effect.
| Kulshan Middle SchoolNeighborhood | Bellingham School District | #2 | #1 | ★Strong by Both Measures | High | |
| Fairhaven Middle SchoolNeighborhood | Bellingham School District | #3 | #2 | ★Strong by Both Measures | High | |
| Whatcom Middle SchoolNeighborhood | Bellingham School District | #12 | #3 | Typical Profile | High | |
| Lowell Elementary SchoolNeighborhood | Bellingham School District | #4 | #4 | ★Strong by Both Measures | Medium | |
| Nooksack ElementaryNeighborhood | Nooksack Valley School District | #9 | #5 | ★Strong by Both Measures | High | |
| Nooksack Valley Middle SchoolNeighborhood | Nooksack Valley School District | #27 | #6 | ★★Outperforming Expectations | High | |
| Kendall ElementaryNeighborhood | Mount Baker School District | #36 | #7 | ★★Outperforming Expectations | High | |
| Vossbeck Elementary SchoolNeighborhood | Lynden School District | #5 | #8 | ★Strong by Both Measures | High | |
| Meridian Middle SchoolNeighborhood | Meridian School District | #23 | #9 | ★★Outperforming Expectations | High | |
| Everson ElementaryNeighborhood | Nooksack Valley School District | #29 | #10 | ★★Outperforming Expectations | High |
| Blaine High SchoolNeighborhood | Blaine School District | #1 | #1HS | HS outcome | HS pool | |
| Sehome High SchoolNeighborhood | Bellingham School District | #2 | #2HS | HS outcome | HS pool | |
| Bellingham High SchoolNeighborhood | Bellingham School District | #3 | #3HS | HS outcome | HS pool | |
| Nooksack Valley High SchoolNeighborhood | Nooksack Valley School District | #5 | #4HS | HS outcome | HS pool | |
| Mount Baker Senior HighNeighborhood | Mount Baker School District | #9 | #5HS | HS outcome | HS pool | |
| Ferndale High SchoolNeighborhood | Ferndale School District | #7 | #6HS | HS outcome | HS pool | |
| Lynden High SchoolNeighborhood | Lynden School District | #6 | #7HS | HS outcome | HS pool | |
| Meridian High SchoolNeighborhood | Meridian School District | #4 | #8HS | HS outcome | HS pool | |
| Squalicum High SchoolNeighborhood | Bellingham School District | #8 | #9HS | HS outcome | HS pool |
SchoolDecoder publishes context-adjusted residuals, not causal estimates. Decoded Rank is one signal — not a verdict on teaching quality. Read about limitations →