Enrollment
1,688
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Spanaway, WA
Bethel High School
Federal NCES profile for Bethel High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 530048000119
👥 S:T ratio 14
📚 AP courses 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 24
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bethel High School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Washington schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Washington.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in Spanaway · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.4:1
- large classes for Washington
- 42.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Bethel High School has class sizes larger than 85% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bethel High School ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Spanaway, WA.
School address
District: Bethel School District · Washington
NCES ID 530048000119 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
79.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.4:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.7%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bethel High School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bethel High School
Bethel High School is a large high school in Spanaway, Washington, enrolling 1,688 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 21.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 42.7% lands close to the Washington typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Washington, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,688 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 76 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #47.
Its student body is led by White (43%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 72/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 10 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 293 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Bethel School District spends $15,195 per pupil, 22% below the Washington average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 7 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Spanaway's high schools, it stands alongside Spanaway Lake High School (1,787 students): Bethel High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.4:1 vs 23.5:1).
Bethel School District also operates Graham Kapowsin High School (2,087 students) and Spanaway Lake High School (1,787 students) alongside Bethel High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Bethel High School compares
Bethel High School on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.4:1 | ▲ 22% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.7% | ▼ 5% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,688 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.4:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,688
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% below the Washington average of 45.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.4:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 85% in Washington - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
30.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,195
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors5.8 FTE
Per 293 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 175 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 7 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 42.6%
Hispanic or Latino 23.3%
Two or More 18.3%
African American 6.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 5.0%
Asian 3.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: White at 42.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.3, Bethel High School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bethel School District, which includes Bethel High School.
$15,195
Per student
-22%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.6%
State 66.9%
Federal 8.5%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Bethel High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graham Kapowsin High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spanaway Lake High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Liberty Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Spanaway Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cedarcrest Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bethel High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,087
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,787
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 857
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 766
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 765
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar high schools in Spanaway
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Washington, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,688 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bethel High School's federal record.
- Compare Bethel High School against another school. Compare schools
- Bethel School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Bethel High School
How many students attend Bethel High School?
Bethel High School has 1,688 students enrolled. It is a high school in Spanaway, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bethel High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Bethel High School is 21.4:1, which is 22% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 36% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bethel High School?
42.7% of students at Bethel High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bethel High School?
The largest demographic group at Bethel High School is White at 42.6% of enrollment, in Spanaway, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bethel High School?
Bethel High School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Bethel High School rank among high schools in Spanaway?
By Resource Investment Index, Bethel High School ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Spanaway, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Spanaway on the city page.
Is Bethel High School a good school?
Bethel High School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Washington schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Washington. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Bethel School District?
Besides Bethel High School, Bethel School District also operates Graham Kapowsin High School (2,087 students), Spanaway Lake High School (1,787 students), and Liberty Middle School (857 students). See the Bethel School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.