Mead 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.

Mead, Washington - 17 schools

An equity score of 27/100 ranks Mead School District #206 of 238 districts in Washington (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $14,830 per pupil, Mead School District ranks #273 of 309 Washington districts by per-pupil spending (Washington districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

10,320
Total Enrollment
17
Schools
$14,830
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Mead School District operates 17 public schools serving 10,320 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Washington. The school portfolio breaks down into 9 elementary, 3 high, 3 middle, 2 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 Spokane County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,830 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 18.8% local, 72.3% state, and 8.8% 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 27/100, ranked #206 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 3 of 17 schools offering Advanced Placement (31 AP courses district-wide), a 541.6:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 4.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 77.6% White, 7.6% Hispanic or Latino, 2.2% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Shiloh Hills Elementary, with a diversity index of 63.8/100.

Its largest campus is Mead Senior High School, enrolling 1,827 students (17% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Mead Open Doors, at 9 students, a 203x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Mead Senior High School accounts for 17.1% of all Mead School District student enrollment

That concentration means Mead 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

Mead School District school enrollment varies 203× across entities

Mead School District school enrollment ranges from 9 students (lowest) to 1,827 students (highest), a spread of 1,818 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

Mead School District student-counselor ratio is 542:1 — 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

Mead School District chronic absenteeism rate is 4.3% — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)

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 Values this far below typical often correlate with unusually small scale or population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se — worth checking whether the underlying denominator is itself an outlier.

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

Where does the funding come from?

8.8%
Federal
72.3%
State
18.8%
Local

Funding Equity

27
Equity Score
206 / 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 17 schools in Mead School District.

White 77.6%
Hispanic or Latino 7.6%
African American 2.2%
Asian 1.9%
Multiracial 8.0%
Other 2.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 37.8/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Shiloh Hills Elementary 63.8
  2. 2 Evergreen Elementary School 45.0
  3. 3 Farwell Elementary School 43.7
  4. 4 Creekside Elementary School 42.5
  5. 5 Meadow Ridge Elementary 42.2

Programs & Resources

3 / 17
Schools with AP
31 AP courses total
541.6:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
4.3%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Mead School District

School Enrollment
Mead Senior High School
1,827
Mt Spokane High School
1,482
Mountainside Middle School
824
Northwood Middle School
796
Mead Learning Options
790
Highland Middle School
704
Farwell Elementary School
471
Brentwood Elementary School
468
Shiloh Hills Elementary
465
Meadow Ridge Elementary
453
Evergreen Elementary School
433
Midway Elementary
418
Skyline Elementary
412
Prairie View Elementary
386
Colbert Elementary School
364
Creekside Elementary School
355
Mead Open Doors
9

How Mead School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Washington districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Sumner-Bonney Lake School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Marysville School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Lake Stevens School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Olympia School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Shoreline School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

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

Compare Mead 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 Mead School District?

Mead School District has 17 schools, including 3 high, 3 middle, 2 combined, 9 elementary. Total enrollment is 10,320 students.

How much does Mead School District spend per student?

Mead School District spends $14,830 per student. The district has an equity score of 27/100, ranking #206 in Washington.

What is the demographic composition of Mead School District?

Mead School District students are 77.6% White, 7.6% Hispanic or Latino, 2.2% African American, 1.9% Asian, averaged across 17 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Mead School District?

Mead School District has an equity score of 27/100, ranking #206 out of 238 districts in Washington.