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Spanaway, Washington - 34 schools
An equity score of 31/100 ranks Bethel School District #190 of 238 districts in Washington (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $15,195 per pupil, Bethel School District ranks #261 of 309 Washington districts by per-pupil spending (Washington districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
21,156
Total Enrollment
34
Schools
$15,195
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Bethel School District operates 34 public schools serving 21,156 students, placing it in the mid-size range in Washington. The school portfolio breaks down into 19 elementary, 6 middle, 5 combined, 4 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage 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 Pierce County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,195 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 309 Washington districts by per-pupil spending. See how Washington compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 24.6% local, 66.9% state, and 8.5% 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 31/100, ranked #190 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 6 of 34 schools offering Advanced Placement (45 AP courses district-wide), a 439.6:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 18.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 42.0% White, 22.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.4% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School, with a diversity index of 81.3/100.
Bethel School District school enrollment varies 104× across entities
Bethel School District school enrollment ranges from 20 students (lowest) to 2,087 students (highest), a spread of 2,067 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.
Bethel School District student-counselor ratio is 440:1 — 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.
Bethel School District chronic absenteeism rate is 18.3% — 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 Bethel School District is typically wider than the Bethel School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Bethel School District has 34 schools, including 4 high, 6 middle, 19 elementary, 5 combined. Total enrollment is 21,156 students.
How much does Bethel School District spend per student?
Bethel School District spends $15,195 per student. The district has an equity score of 31/100, ranking #190 in Washington.
What is the demographic composition of Bethel School District?
Bethel School District students are 42.0% White, 22.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.4% African American, 3.9% Asian, averaged across 34 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Bethel School District?
Bethel School District has an equity score of 31/100, ranking #190 out of 238 districts in Washington.