Rochester 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.

Rochester, Washington - 5 schools

An equity score of 53/100 ranks Rochester School District #105 of 238 districts in Washington (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $17,251 per pupil, Rochester School District ranks #150 of 309 Washington districts by per-pupil spending (Washington districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,150
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$17,251
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Rochester School District operates 5 public schools serving 2,150 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Washington. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 high, 1 middle, 1 elementary, 1 combined 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 Thurston County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,251 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 12.6% local, 74.7% state, and 12.7% 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 53/100, ranked #105 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 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (4 AP courses district-wide), a 366.3:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 33.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 59.2% White, 27.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Grand Mound Elementary, with a diversity index of 57.3/100.

Its largest campus is Rochester High School, enrolling 608 students (28% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is H.E.a.R.T. High School, at 37 students, a 16x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Rochester High School accounts for 28.0% of all Rochester School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Rochester 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

Rochester School District school enrollment varies 16× across entities

Rochester School District school enrollment ranges from 37 students (lowest) to 608 students (highest), a spread of 571 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. 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

Rochester School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 50.4% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Rochester School District student-counselor ratio is 366:1 — 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

Rochester School District chronic absenteeism rate is 33.4% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

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

Where does the funding come from?

12.7%
Federal
74.7%
State
12.6%
Local

Funding Equity

53
Equity Score
105 / 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 5 schools in Rochester School District.

White 59.2%
Hispanic or Latino 27.7%
Asian 0.6%
Multiracial 8.9%
Other 3.2%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 55.6/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Grand Mound Elementary 57.3
  2. 2 Rochester Primary School 56.4
  3. 3 Rochester Middle School 55.9
  4. 4 Rochester High School 55.1
  5. 5 H.E.a.R.T. High School 53.1

Programs & Resources

1 / 5
Schools with AP
4 AP courses total
366.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
33.4%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Rochester School District

School Enrollment
Rochester High School
608
Rochester Middle School
535
Grand Mound Elementary
507
Rochester Primary School
488
H.E.a.R.T. High School
37

How Rochester School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Washington districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Blaine School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Sultan School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
North Franklin School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Hockinson School District Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
North Mason School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

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

Compare Rochester 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 Rochester School District?

Rochester School District has 5 schools, including 2 high, 1 middle, 1 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 2,150 students.

How much does Rochester School District spend per student?

Rochester School District spends $17,251 per student. The district has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #105 in Washington.

What is the demographic composition of Rochester School District?

Rochester School District students are 59.2% White, 27.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% Asian, 0.3% African American, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Rochester School District?

Rochester School District has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #105 out of 238 districts in Washington.