Bellingham School District No 501
Listed by NCES as Bellingham School District (district ID 5300420)
Public school district · Whatcom County · Washington · NCES district ID 5300420
Bellingham School District No 501 spent $17,886 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 68% of the other Washington districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $17,250). Its 25 schools enrolled 11,337 students in 2024-25; 56.9% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $18,143 per student, up 1.4% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 79% (Washington: 83.8%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Washington districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Bellingham School District No 501 in enrollment (9,564 to 12,566 students) and Bellingham School District No 501 itself.
Where the money came from
$256,084,000 in revenue: 56.9% state, 32.4% local and 10.7% federal. Total spending including $35,104,000 of capital outlay was $261,104,000, or $22,482 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$145,804,000 57%
- Local$82,916,000 32%
- Federal$27,364,000 11%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 150 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
11,614 students in 2022-23, 11,487 students in 2023-24, 11,337 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 11,614 | 697.3 | 16.7 |
| 2023-24 | 11,487 | 662.7 | 17.3 |
| 2024-25 | 11,337 | 638.2 | 17.8 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$67,118,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $5,779 per student
Bellingham School District No 501 booked $67,118,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 705 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $95,138 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 76 in 100 Washington districts with a figure (state median $84,529, 290 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Washington teacher salary at $81,586 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $47,976,000 | 71.5% |
| Special education | $8,835,000 | 13.2% |
| Vocational | $4,010,000 | 6.0% |
| Other programs | $6,297,000 | 9.4% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,861 in 2018-19, $5,043 in 2019-20, $5,634 in 2020-21, $5,809 in 2021-22, $5,779 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Bellingham School District No 501 scored proficient or above: 57% in reading and 42% in math, against 53.4% in reading and 41% in math across Washington. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Washington, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.
| Subject | This district | Washington | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 57% | 53.4% | 5,519 |
| Math | 42% | 41% | 4,658 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
79% of the 1,046 students in Bellingham School District No 501's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 83.8% across Washington. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Washington | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 79% | 83.8% |
| Students in the class | 1,046 | 85,003 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
14 elementary schools, 4,822 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Happy Valley Elementary School | 455 | 17.6 | 41.1% | Not Title I |
| Parkview Elementary School | 422 | 16.7 | 33.6% | Eligible, no program |
| Geneva Elementary School | 412 | 18.2 | 23.8% | Not Title I |
| Northern Heights Elementary Schl | 396 | 15.6 | 28.8% | Not Title I |
| Silver Beach Elementary School | 357 | 20.3 | 18.5% | Not Title I |
| Cordata Elementary School | 357 | 12.5 | 61.6% | Schoolwide program |
| Roosevelt Elementary School | 348 | 14.3 | 41.4% | Schoolwide program |
| Lowell Elementary School | 338 | 17.3 | 27.8% | Not Title I |
| Birchwood Elementary School | 335 | 14.0 | 50.1% | Schoolwide program |
| Carl Cozier Elementary School | 325 | 14.4 | 46.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Alderwood Elementary School | 305 | 14.1 | 57.7% | Schoolwide program |
| Wade King Elementary School | 297 | 16.4 | 14.8% | Not Title I |
The other 2 elementary schools
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnyland Elementary School | 288 | 14.5 | 35.1% | Eligible, no program |
| Columbia Elementary School | 187 | 17.0 | 19.3% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
4 middle schools, 2,406 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whatcom Middle School | 637 | 18.5 | 34.2% | Not Title I |
| Shuksan Middle School | 606 | 16.8 | 44.6% | Eligible, no program |
| Fairhaven Middle School | 588 | 18.1 | 34.4% | Not Title I |
| Kulshan Middle School | 575 | 17.6 | 22.3% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
6 high schools, 3,851 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squalicum High School | 1,273 | 21.1 | 35.9% | Eligible, no program |
| Bellingham High School | 1,165 | 21.3 | 28.4% | Not Title I |
| Sehome High School | 1,116 | 21.8 | 23.7% | Not Title I |
| Options High School | 176 | 8.6 | 43.2% | Eligible, no program |
| Bellingham Re-Engagement Program | 110 | not reported | 56.4% | Not Title I |
| Visions (Seamar Youth Center) | 11 | not reported | 63.6% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 other school, 258 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham Family Partnership Program | 258 | 26.1 | 22.1% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact Bellingham School District No 501
- Website: bellinghamschools.org
- Phone: (360) 676-6400
- Office: 1985 Barkley Blvd, Bellingham, WA 98226
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Bellingham School District No 501
- Washington districts by spending per studentBellingham School District No 501 ranks 49 of 150 Washington districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($17,886).#49 of 150
- Every school district in WashingtonBellingham School District No 501 is the number 28 by size of 323 Washington districts, with 11,614 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#28 of 323
- Battle Ground School DistrictThe next larger Washington district: 12,393 students in fall 2022, $16,420 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$16,420
- Central Kitsap School DistrictThe next smaller Washington district: 11,206 students in fall 2022, $17,364 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$17,364
- Compare Bellingham School District No 501 with Battle Ground School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Squalicum High School, its largest high school1,273 students in 2024-25, 21.1 per teacher.1,273
- Teacher salary spending across WashingtonBellingham School District No 501 spent $95,138 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $84,529); spending, not a salary.$95,138
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Bellingham School District No 501
How many schools and students are in Bellingham School District No 501?
25 schools were open in 2024-25 (14 elementary, 4 middle, 6 high, 1 other), enrolling 11,337 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Bellingham School District No 501 spend per student?
$17,886 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Washington median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $17,250 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $18,143 per student, up 1.4% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Bellingham School District No 501's money come from?
$256,084,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 56.9% state, 32.4% local and 10.7% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Bellingham School District No 501 live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 929 of the 12,435 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 7.5%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Bellingham School District No 501 spend on teacher salaries?
$67,118,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $5,779 per student. Divided by the 705 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $95,138 per teacher, more than 76 in 100 Washington districts (state median $84,529). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Washington teacher salary at $81,586 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Bellingham School District No 501 do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Bellingham School District No 501 scored proficient or above: 57% in reading and 42% in math, against 53.4% in reading and 41% in math across Washington. Washington's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Bellingham School District No 501?
79% of the 1,046 students in Bellingham School District No 501's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 83.8% across Washington. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Bellingham School District No 501's NCES district ID?
5300420. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25