Tumwater 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.

Tumwater, Washington - 15 schools

An equity score of 16/100 ranks Tumwater School District #232 of 238 districts in Washington (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $15,498 per pupil, Tumwater School District ranks #247 of 309 Washington districts by per-pupil spending (Washington districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

6,461
Total Enrollment
15
Schools
$15,498
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Tumwater School District operates 15 public schools serving 6,461 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Washington. The school portfolio breaks down into 6 combined, 4 high, 3 elementary, 2 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly 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 Thurston County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,498 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 29.6% local, 62.2% state, and 8.2% 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 16/100, ranked #232 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 3 of 15 schools offering Advanced Placement (18 AP courses district-wide), a 392.5:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 17.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 64.4% White, 18.6% Hispanic or Latino, 2.9% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Tumwater Hill Elementary, with a diversity index of 64.3/100.

Its largest campus is Tumwater High School, enrolling 1,117 students (17% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Thurs Co Juv Det/Tumwater West E, at 5 students, a 223x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Tumwater High School accounts for 17.3% of all Tumwater School District student enrollment

That concentration means Tumwater 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

Tumwater School District school enrollment varies 223× across entities

Tumwater School District school enrollment ranges from 5 students (lowest) to 1,117 students (highest), a spread of 1,112 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

Tumwater School District student-counselor ratio is 393:1 — 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

Tumwater School District chronic absenteeism rate is 17.2% — 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 Tumwater School District is typically wider than the Tumwater 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?

8.2%
Federal
62.2%
State
29.6%
Local

Funding Equity

16
Equity Score
232 / 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 15 schools in Tumwater School District.

White 64.4%
Hispanic or Latino 18.6%
African American 2.2%
Asian 2.9%
Multiracial 10.0%
Other 1.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 52.9/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Tumwater Hill Elementary 64.3
  2. 2 New Market Skills Center 64.2
  3. 3 Peter G Schmidt Elementary 58.3
  4. 4 Tumwater Middle School 57.3
  5. 5 Michael T Simmons Elementary 55.5

Programs & Resources

3 / 15
Schools with AP
18 AP courses total
392.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
17.2%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Tumwater School District

School Enrollment
Tumwater High School
1,117
George Bush Middle School
762
A G West Black Hills High School
753
Tumwater Middle School
665
Peter G Schmidt Elementary
606
East Olympia Elementary
579
Michael T Simmons Elementary
457
Tumwater Hill Elementary
400
Black Lake Elementary
382
Littlerock Elementary School
343
Cascadia High School
134
Tumwater Virtual Academy
124
New Market Skills Center
86
New Market High School
61
Thurs Co Juv Det/Tumwater West E
5

How Tumwater School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Washington districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Mount Vernon School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Sunnyside School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Longview School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Eastmont School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Snoqualmie Valley School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

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

Compare Tumwater 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 Tumwater School District?

Tumwater School District has 15 schools, including 4 high, 2 middle, 6 combined, 3 elementary. Total enrollment is 6,461 students.

How much does Tumwater School District spend per student?

Tumwater School District spends $15,498 per student. The district has an equity score of 16/100, ranking #232 in Washington.

What is the demographic composition of Tumwater School District?

Tumwater School District students are 64.4% White, 18.6% Hispanic or Latino, 2.9% Asian, 2.2% African American, averaged across 15 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Tumwater School District?

Tumwater School District has an equity score of 16/100, ranking #232 out of 238 districts in Washington.