The people have spoken: Northshore Christian Academy is the best elementary school in the Pacific Northwest! In The Seattle Times’ 2024 Best in the PNW contest, NCA won gold in the ‘Best Elementary School’ category.
This is just one of several prestigious awards NCA has received in recent years. In 2019, our school was recognized by the U.S. Dept. of Education with a National Blue Ribbon School Award for Academic Excellence. Project Lead the Way also named NCA a Distinguished School for Excellence in STEM Education.
About the Seattle Times’ Best in the PNW Awards
Every year, the Seattle Times Best in the PNW program invites Seattle Times readers to vote on the best organizations in Snohomish, King, and Pierce counties. The “Best Elementary School” category recognizes voters’ choice of a school with academic excellence and an engaged community.
The Seattle Times featured NCA and other award winners in the 2024 edition of the Best in the PNW magazine, which was released on September 22nd. The article makes note of NCA’s beautiful campus, emphasis on STEM and the arts, and Christ-centered, highly academic environment.
What Makes NCA Different
Our school provides a Christ-centered environment that emphasizes these pillars: faith, academics, STEM, fine arts, athletics, and extra-curriculars. We strive to equip students with not only a solid academic foundation but also a strong Christian character and leadership skills.
We use innovative, critical thinking instruction techniques to give our elementary students a firm foundation in the STEM fields. Our fine arts programs are extensive and offer beginning, intermediate and advanced Band, Orchestra, and Choir. Students have opportunities for early advancement or specialized tutoring. As a result, our students regularly test well above their grade level on the Measurement of Academic Progressive (MAP) assessment.
NCA has an innovative weekly engineering program for K-5 students based on Project Lead the Way. Students learn the engineering design process through grade-appropriate projects that show them how to solve real-world problems. Technology is infused throughout the curriculum, which includes weekly computer class for elementary students.
Our students also get to enjoy the performing arts through music class productions, classroom skits, and enrichment classes. Our visual arts curriculum explores 35 master artists.
As a Christian school, we highly encourage students to grow their personal faith in Jesus Christ. All of our elementary students attend chapel each week. We present a curriculum that reflects our Christian values and beliefs, including regular Bible classes.
Since 1995, our school community has been preparing students to excel in high school and beyond, wherever they are called to go. Over the years, we have grown into a community with 1,130 students from Early Learning through eighth grade. You can find our alumni excelling in public and private high schools throughout the area and attending highly respected universities like the University of Washington, Washington State University, Western Washington University, Johns Hopkins, Duke, Notre Dame, and Wheaton.
A Big Thanks to Our School Community
Our students were thrilled to hear that NCA won the award this year. When Mr. Lane Beasley, NCA Head of School, made the announcement over loudspeaker, we heard cheers and excitement from the entire student body and staff.
“Winning this prestigious award of overall 'Best Elementary School' in the Pacific Northwest reflects the dedication of NCA’s families and staff, and is a win for the entire Snohomish County community,” Mr. Beasley told the school community. “Congratulations to our students for attending the ‘Best Elementary School’.”
Learn More About Northshore Christian Academy
Interested in sending your child to the voter-declared best elementary school in the Greater Seattle area? We encourage you to contact our admissions team with any questions about our school or schedule a family tour of our gorgeous campus. Applications for the 2025-2026 school year are now open!
