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Tacoma, Washington - 66 schools
An equity score of 48/100 ranks Tacoma School District #122 of 238 districts in Washington (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $17,575 per pupil, Tacoma School District ranks #127 of 309 Washington districts by per-pupil spending (Washington districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
28,311
Total Enrollment
66
Schools
$17,575
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Tacoma School District operates 66 public schools serving 28,311 students, placing it among the larger districts in Washington. The school portfolio breaks down into 34 combined, 12 high, 12 middle, 8 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage across a sizeable portfolio 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 Pierce County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,575 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 30.2% local, 57.0% state, and 12.8% 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 48/100, ranked #122 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 9 of 66 schools offering Advanced Placement (84 AP courses district-wide), a 328.9:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 55.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 34.5% White, 22.6% Hispanic or Latino, 13.4% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Lister Elementary School, with a diversity index of 82.0/100.
Its largest campus is Stadium High School, enrolling 1,700 students (6% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Special Services, at 9 students, a 189x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Tacoma School District school enrollment varies 189× across entities
Tacoma School District school enrollment ranges from 9 students (lowest) to 1,700 students (highest), a spread of 1,691 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.
Tacoma School District student-counselor ratio is 329:1 — 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 Tacoma School District is typically wider than the Tacoma School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Tacoma School District chronic absenteeism rate is 55.4% — 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.
Tacoma School District has 66 schools, including 12 high, 12 middle, 34 combined, 8 elementary. Total enrollment is 28,311 students.
How much does Tacoma School District spend per student?
Tacoma School District spends $17,575 per student. The district has an equity score of 48/100, ranking #122 in Washington.
What is the demographic composition of Tacoma School District?
Tacoma School District students are 34.5% White, 22.6% Hispanic or Latino, 13.4% African American, 7.2% Asian, averaged across 66 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Tacoma School District?
Tacoma School District has an equity score of 48/100, ranking #122 out of 238 districts in Washington.