An alternative school in Bellevue made the list of Washington’s lowest-performing schools this week, dealing a blow to a district more accustomed to Top-100 rankings.

The list comes from the state Superintendent of Public Instruction, which identified Robinswood Middle and High School as one of the least successful among state schools that receive federal Title I funding for low-income students.

That designation qualifies the school to apply for three-year federal grants ranging from $50,000 to $2 million.

To receive the funds, the district must agree to fix the school using one of three models: closure, replacing the principal and half the staff, or removing the principal and rewarding teachers who increased student outcomes.

The district says it will focus on the latter two approaches, making a final choice with help from stakeholders that include representatives from the school, the teachers’ union, and the district office.

Bellevue schools superintendent Amalia Cudeiro said in a statement that the district will use the overhaul as an “opportunity to dream big and create a school that would propel their students into higher achievement, successful graduation and a productive future.”

The state primarily bases its list of lowest performing schools on math and reading scores from the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL), which is taken by seventh, eighth, and 10th graders.

At Robinswood, eighth and 10th graders saw a decreases in the number of students passing the math portion of the WASL from 2008 to 2009. Reading also fell for seventh graders during that period.

The school saw double-digit increases in the percentage of eighth and tenth graders passing the reading portion of the test, as well as a leap from 23 percent to 42 percent for seventh grade math.

“It’s unfortunate that Robinswood High School, despite making significant gains in reading and writing, fell on this list, but we recognize that other academic areas need improvement,” Cudeiro said.

Fifty-five percent of Robinswood students are eligible for free and reduced-price lunches, a barometer for determining which schools receive Title I funding.

Robinswood has the highest number of low-income students in the district.