Lake Stevens 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.

Lake Stevens, Washington - 13 schools

An equity score of 22/100 ranks Lake Stevens School District #224 of 238 districts in Washington (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $15,248 per pupil, Lake Stevens School District ranks #258 of 309 Washington districts by per-pupil spending (Washington districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

9,687
Total Enrollment
13
Schools
$15,248
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Lake Stevens School District operates 13 public schools serving 9,687 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Washington. The school portfolio breaks down into 7 combined, 3 elementary, 2 middle, 1 high 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 Snohomish County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,248 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 21.1% local, 72.2% state, and 6.8% 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 22/100, ranked #224 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 13 schools offering Advanced Placement (11 AP courses district-wide), a 511.3:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 19.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 58.6% White, 16.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Sunnycrest Elementary School, with a diversity index of 67.7/100.

Its largest campus is Lake Stevens Sr High School, enrolling 2,205 students (22% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Homelink, at 31 students, a 71x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Lake Stevens Sr High School accounts for 21.8% of all Lake Stevens School District student enrollment

That concentration means Lake Stevens 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

Lake Stevens School District school enrollment varies 71× across entities

Lake Stevens School District school enrollment ranges from 31 students (lowest) to 2,205 students (highest), a spread of 2,174 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

Lake Stevens School District student-counselor ratio is 511:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

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 Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

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

Lake Stevens School District chronic absenteeism rate is 19.9% — 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 Lake Stevens School District is typically wider than the Lake Stevens 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?

6.8%
Federal
72.2%
State
21.1%
Local

Funding Equity

22
Equity Score
224 / 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 13 schools in Lake Stevens School District.

White 58.6%
Hispanic or Latino 16.6%
African American 5.0%
Asian 9.3%
Multiracial 9.7%
Other 0.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 60.1/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Lake Stevens School District's schools, above the Washington average of 53.3.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Sunnycrest Elementary School 67.7
  2. 2 Hillcrest Elementary School 66.6
  3. 3 Early Learning Center 66.4
  4. 4 Skyline Elementary 64.1
  5. 5 Lake Stevens Middle School 62.3

Programs & Resources

1 / 13
Schools with AP
11 AP courses total
511.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
19.9%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Lake Stevens School District

School Enrollment
Lake Stevens Sr High School
2,205
Cavelero Mid High School
1,490
North Lake Middle School
856
Hillcrest Elementary School
842
Lake Stevens Middle School
709
Stevens Creek Elementary
701
Sunnycrest Elementary School
695
Glenwood Elementary
641
Skyline Elementary
562
Highland Elementary
557
Mt. Pilchuck Elementary School
554
Early Learning Center
259
Homelink
31

How Lake Stevens School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Washington districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Olympia School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Shoreline School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Snohomish School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
South Kitsap School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Marysville School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Lake Stevens 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 Lake Stevens School District →
Lake Washington School District
30,991 students · 58 schools · $16,269/pupil
Compare vs Lake Stevens School District →
Spokane School District
28,714 students · 68 schools · $17,305/pupil
Compare vs Lake Stevens School District →
Tacoma School District
28,311 students · 69 schools · $17,575/pupil
Compare vs Lake Stevens School District →
Kent School District
25,586 students · 45 schools · $17,678/pupil
Compare vs Lake Stevens School District →

Compare Lake Stevens 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 Lake Stevens School District?

Lake Stevens School District has 13 schools, including 1 high, 7 combined, 2 middle, 3 elementary. Total enrollment is 9,687 students.

How much does Lake Stevens School District spend per student?

Lake Stevens School District spends $15,248 per student. The district has an equity score of 22/100, ranking #224 in Washington.

What is the demographic composition of Lake Stevens School District?

Lake Stevens School District students are 58.6% White, 16.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 5.0% African American, averaged across 13 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Lake Stevens School District?

Lake Stevens School District has an equity score of 22/100, ranking #224 out of 238 districts in Washington.