Mount Baker 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.

Deming, Washington - 7 schools

An equity score of 79/100 ranks Mount Baker School District #22 of 238 districts in Washington (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $19,882 per pupil, Mount Baker School District ranks #76 of 309 Washington districts by per-pupil spending (Washington districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,692
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$19,882
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Mount Baker School District operates 7 public schools serving 1,692 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Washington. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 elementary, 2 combined, 1 high, 1 middle schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Whatcom County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $19,882 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 19.3% local, 59.8% state, and 20.8% 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 79/100, ranked #22 of 238 in Washington against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 254.7:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 53.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 71.3% White, 17.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Acme Elementary, with a diversity index of 56.0/100.

Its largest campus is Mount Baker Senior High, enrolling 513 students (32% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Educational Resource Center, at 18 students, a 29x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Mount Baker Senior High accounts for 30.3% of all Mount Baker School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Mount Baker 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

Mount Baker School District school enrollment varies 29× across entities

Mount Baker School District school enrollment ranges from 18 students (lowest) to 513 students (highest), a spread of 495 students. That spread is wider than typical and predicts noticeable gaps in service quality between the highest and lowest areas. 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

Mount Baker School District student-counselor ratio is 255:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts

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 Variation between sub-units within Mount Baker School District is typically wider than the Mount Baker School District-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Mount Baker School District chronic absenteeism rate is 53.9% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

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 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 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

20.8%
Federal
59.8%
State
19.3%
Local

Funding Equity

79
Equity Score
22 / 238
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 7 schools in Mount Baker School District.

White 71.3%
Hispanic or Latino 17.0%
African American 0.8%
Multiracial 6.3%
Other 4.2%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 44.9/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Acme Elementary 56.0
  2. 2 Kendall Elementary 51.7
  3. 3 Mount Baker Junior High 50.0
  4. 4 Mount Baker Senior High 49.1
  5. 5 Educational Resource Center 42.6

Programs & Resources

254.7:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
53.9%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Mount Baker School District

School Enrollment
Mount Baker Senior High
513
Kendall Elementary
317
Harmony Elementary
288
Mount Baker Junior High
244
Acme Elementary
168
Mount Baker Academy
32
Educational Resource Center
18

How Mount Baker School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Washington districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Colville School District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Elma School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Hoquiam School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Royal School District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
La Center School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix

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

Compare Mount Baker 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 Mount Baker School District?

Mount Baker School District has 7 schools, including 1 high, 3 elementary, 1 middle, 2 combined. Total enrollment is 1,692 students.

How much does Mount Baker School District spend per student?

Mount Baker School District spends $19,882 per student. The district has an equity score of 79/100, ranking #22 in Washington.

What is the demographic composition of Mount Baker School District?

Mount Baker School District students are 71.3% White, 17.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% African American, 0.5% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Mount Baker School District?

Mount Baker School District has an equity score of 79/100, ranking #22 out of 238 districts in Washington.