Orting 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.

Orting, Washington - 5 schools

An equity score of 28/100 ranks Orting School District #202 of 238 districts in Washington (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $15,590 per pupil, Orting School District ranks #244 of 309 Washington districts by per-pupil spending (Washington districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,748
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$15,590
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Orting School District operates 5 public schools serving 2,748 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Washington. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined, 1 high, 1 elementary, 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 Pierce County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,590 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 18.4% local, 71.6% state, and 10.0% 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 28/100, ranked #202 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 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (8 AP courses district-wide), a 475.9:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 17.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 64.8% White, 17.2% Hispanic or Latino, 2.9% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Ptarmigan Ridge Elementary School, with a diversity index of 54.4/100.

Its largest campus is Orting High School, enrolling 876 students (31% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Orting Special Education, at 12 students, a 73x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Orting High School accounts for 31.1% of all Orting School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Orting 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

Orting School District school enrollment varies 73× across entities

Orting School District school enrollment ranges from 12 students (lowest) to 876 students (highest), a spread of 864 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

Orting School District student-counselor ratio is 476:1 — 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.

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

Orting School District chronic absenteeism rate is 17.8% — 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 Orting School District is typically wider than the Orting 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?

10.0%
Federal
71.6%
State
18.4%
Local

Funding Equity

28
Equity Score
202 / 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 5 schools in Orting School District.

White 64.8%
Hispanic or Latino 17.2%
African American 2.9%
Asian 2.9%
Multiracial 9.9%
Other 2.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 53.8/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Orting School District's schools, about the same as the Washington average of 53.3.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Ptarmigan Ridge Elementary School 54.4
  2. 2 Orting Middle School 54.2
  3. 3 Orting High School 53.9
  4. 4 Orting Primary School 52.8

Programs & Resources

1 / 5
Schools with AP
8 AP courses total
475.9:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
17.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Orting School District

School Enrollment
Orting High School
876
Ptarmigan Ridge Elementary School
723
Orting Middle School
643
Orting Primary School
567
Orting Special Education
12

How Orting School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Washington districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Pullman School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Deer Park School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Tukwila School District Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Ephrata School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Washougal School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

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

Compare Orting 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 Orting School District?

Orting School District has 5 schools, including 1 high, 1 elementary, 1 middle, 2 combined. Total enrollment is 2,748 students.

How much does Orting School District spend per student?

Orting School District spends $15,590 per student. The district has an equity score of 28/100, ranking #202 in Washington.

What is the demographic composition of Orting School District?

Orting School District students are 64.8% White, 17.2% Hispanic or Latino, 2.9% African American, 2.9% Asian, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Orting School District?

Orting School District has an equity score of 28/100, ranking #202 out of 238 districts in Washington.