Port Townsend 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.

Port Townsend, Washington - 4 schools

An equity score of 49/100 ranks Port Townsend School District #120 of 238 districts in Washington (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $17,962 per pupil, Port Townsend School District ranks #113 of 309 Washington districts by per-pupil spending (Washington districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,206
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$17,962
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Port Townsend School District operates 4 public schools serving 1,206 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Washington. The school portfolio breaks down into 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 Jefferson County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,962 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 29.3% local, 54.3% state, and 16.4% 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 49/100, ranked #120 of 238 in Washington against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 4 schools offering Advanced Placement (2 AP courses district-wide), a 210:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 18.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 75.7% White, 11.7% Hispanic or Latino, 2.3% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Ocean, with a diversity index of 42.0/100.

Its largest campus is Salish Coast Elementary, enrolling 528 students (41% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Ocean, at 144 students, a 4x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Salish Coast Elementary accounts for 41.3% of all Port Townsend School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Port Townsend School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. 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

Port Townsend School District school enrollment varies 3.7× across entities

Port Townsend School District school enrollment ranges from 144 students (lowest) to 528 students (highest), a spread of 384 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. 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

Port Townsend School District student-counselor ratio is 210:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

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

Port Townsend School District chronic absenteeism rate is 18.8% — 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 Port Townsend School District is typically wider than the Port Townsend 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?

16.4%
Federal
54.3%
State
29.3%
Local

Funding Equity

49
Equity Score
120 / 238
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 4 schools in Port Townsend School District.

White 75.7%
Hispanic or Latino 11.7%
African American 1.0%
Asian 2.3%
Multiracial 8.2%
Other 1.2%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 40.5/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Ocean 42.0
  2. 2 Salish Coast Elementary 41.8
  3. 3 Blue Heron Middle School 40.3
  4. 4 Port Townsend High School 37.9

Programs & Resources

1 / 4
Schools with AP
2 AP courses total
210:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
18.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Port Townsend School District

School Enrollment
Salish Coast Elementary
528
Port Townsend High School
383
Blue Heron Middle School
222
Ocean
144

How Port Townsend School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Washington districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
South Whidbey School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Tonasket School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Cascade School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Kalama School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Kettle Falls School District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded

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

Compare Port Townsend 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 Port Townsend School District?

Port Townsend School District has 4 schools, including 2 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 1,206 students.

How much does Port Townsend School District spend per student?

Port Townsend School District spends $17,962 per student. The district has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #120 in Washington.

What is the demographic composition of Port Townsend School District?

Port Townsend School District students are 75.7% White, 11.7% Hispanic or Latino, 2.3% Asian, 1.0% African American, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Port Townsend School District?

Port Townsend School District has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #120 out of 238 districts in Washington.