Anacortes School District

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Anacortes, Washington - 8 schools

An equity score of 37/100 ranks Anacortes School District #176 of 238 districts in Washington (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $18,179 per pupil, Anacortes School District ranks #104 of 309 Washington districts by per-pupil spending (Washington districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,606
Total Enrollment
8
Schools
$18,179
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Anacortes School District operates 8 public schools serving 2,606 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Washington. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 high, 3 elementary, 1 middle, 1 combined schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Skagit County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $18,179 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 309 Washington districts by per-pupil spending. See how Washington compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 32.0% local, 56.5% state, and 11.5% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 37/100, ranked #176 of 238 in Washington against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 8 schools offering Advanced Placement (9 AP courses district-wide), a 354.8:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 17.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 76.1% White, 12.7% Hispanic or Latino, 1.2% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Whitney Early Childhood Education Center, with a diversity index of 55.7/100.

Its largest campus is Anacortes High School, enrolling 766 students (30% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Open Doors, at 7 students, a 109x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Anacortes High School accounts for 29.4% of all Anacortes School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Anacortes School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Anacortes School District school enrollment varies 109× across entities

Anacortes School District school enrollment ranges from 7 students (lowest) to 766 students (highest), a spread of 759 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Anacortes School District student-counselor ratio is 355:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Anacortes School District chronic absenteeism rate is 17.5% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Anacortes School District is typically wider than the Anacortes School District-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

11.5%
Federal
56.5%
State
32.0%
Local

Funding Equity

37
Equity Score
176 / 238
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 8 schools in Anacortes School District.

White 76.1%
Hispanic or Latino 12.7%
African American 0.8%
Asian 1.2%
Multiracial 7.6%
Other 1.5%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 38.2/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Anacortes School District's schools, below the Washington average of 53.3.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Whitney Early Childhood Education Center 55.7
  2. 2 Cap Sante High School 50.4
  3. 3 Mount Erie Elementary 42.0
  4. 4 Anacortes High School 41.2
  5. 5 Anacortes Middle School 40.7

Programs & Resources

1 / 8
Schools with AP
9 AP courses total
354.8:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
17.5%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Anacortes School District

School Enrollment
Anacortes High School
766
Anacortes Middle School
617
Island View Elementary
453
Fidalgo Elementary
339
Mount Erie Elementary
327
Cap Sante High School
50
Whitney Early Childhood Education Center
36
Open Doors
7

How Anacortes School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Washington districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Sequim School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Lakewood School District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Wahluke School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Clarkston School District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Tukwila School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Anacortes School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Washington

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Seattle School District No. 1
51,238 students · 109 schools · $20,430/pupil
Compare vs Anacortes School District →
Lake Washington School District
30,991 students · 58 schools · $16,269/pupil
Compare vs Anacortes School District →
Spokane School District
28,714 students · 68 schools · $17,305/pupil
Compare vs Anacortes School District →
Tacoma School District
28,311 students · 69 schools · $17,575/pupil
Compare vs Anacortes School District →
Kent School District
25,586 students · 45 schools · $17,678/pupil
Compare vs Anacortes School District →

Compare Anacortes School District

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Seattle School District No. 1 →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Anacortes School District?

Anacortes School District has 8 schools, including 3 high, 1 middle, 3 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 2,606 students.

How much does Anacortes School District spend per student?

Anacortes School District spends $18,179 per student. The district has an equity score of 37/100, ranking #176 in Washington.

What is the demographic composition of Anacortes School District?

Anacortes School District students are 76.1% White, 12.7% Hispanic or Latino, 1.2% Asian, 0.8% African American, averaged across 8 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Anacortes School District?

Anacortes School District has an equity score of 37/100, ranking #176 out of 238 districts in Washington.