4502 41st Avenue S
Seattle, WA 98118

We were worried that our teen, coming from a small private school, would have difficulties at such a large, diverse high school. Franklin High was the best choice we ever could have made. Our teen is getting more from the experience at Franklin than we ever dreamed. The kids are great, welcoming, tolerant, fun, and even polite to adults (I always appreciate that). The academics are challenging and prepare students well, as our teen's PSAT scores would attest. AP and honors classes make for lots of homework, but there is also plenty of fun happening too. Our teen is stronger, smarter, and happier because she goes to Franklin. There is not a bunch of privileged, entitled kids expecting everything to be handed to them, judging others who have less. It's a good place to be.

I had a bad experience at this school. It was a really difficult school to teach in. It seems underfunded and the classroom was not cleaned regularly. The students were out of control and there was little support. I would not want to send a child to this school.

Orca K-8 is a truly special place.The teachers are kind, respectful, and passionate about helping students grow. Every student feels supported—whether it's in learning, emotional well-being, or having a safe environment to be themselves. The school celebrates every child’s individuality and makes families feel like true partners. I’ve seen students excited to learn and feel confident because they know they’re cared for. Orca isn’t just a school—it’s a strong, loving community.

Our family recently relocated near to the area. We were not sure if to keep our kids in private, switch to public, or try for an choice/option school. After reviewing state scores, checking out reviews, and weigh pros/cons we settled on Hawthorne. We were unsure of what to expect but we are incredibly pleased with Hawthorne. The principal is an amazing leader that sets the tone for all of the teachers and staff. She is very engaged with all of the students (which is pretty remarkable given the size of the school) and makes a big effort to stay connected to students and families. The parents and pta are very involved and you can feel the community and concern for the kids at this school. I regularly see teachers greeting kids as they enter the building and high fiving kids on the their way home. The school is fairly diverse across various metrics and I think this mix adds to the vibrancy we are feeling overall. They have after school enrichment which is run by volunteers and both of our kids really enjoy their leaders and choices. Both of our kids really like their teachers and support staff. My daughters teacher has been very receptive to our input and has made our daughter excited to learn. She is full of positive energy and eager to make sure all students are thriving. Our sons teacher is fantastic as well with lots of experience, supportive, and also very engaged with the students. They've both expressed to us that they love their school and are happy we placed them here. I cant say we can take the credit since it was hard to know what it would be like but we are glad its turned out way better than we anticipated. Highly recommend.