Enrollment
482
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Spanaway, WA
Bethel Virtual Academy
Federal NCES profile for Bethel Virtual Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 530048003762
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bethel Virtual Academy earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Washington schools.
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.3:1
- large classes for Washington
- 53.1%
- free-lunch eligible
- 482
- students enrolled
Bethel Virtual Academy has class sizes larger than 74% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Bethel School District · Washington
NCES ID 530048003762 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.3:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.1%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bethel Virtual Academy compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bethel Virtual Academy
Bethel Virtual Academy is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Spanaway, Washington, enrolling 482 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 53.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 482 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 498 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #174.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and Two or More (19%) (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 255 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
The surrounding Bethel School District spends $15,195 per pupil, 22% below the Washington average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Spanaway's public schools, it stands alongside Challenger High School (318 students): Bethel Virtual Academy is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.3:1 vs 16.7:1).
Bethel School District also operates Graham Kapowsin High School (2,087 students) and Spanaway Lake High School (1,787 students) alongside Bethel Virtual Academy.
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 Virtual Academy compares
Bethel Virtual Academy on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.3:1 | ▲ 10% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.1% | ▲ 18% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 482 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.3:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
482
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% above the Washington average of 45.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.3:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 74% in Washington - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
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
Counselors1.9 FTE
Per 255 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 44.1%
Two or More 19.0%
Hispanic or Latino 18.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 8.8%
African American 6.5%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.7%
Largest group: White at 44.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.4, Bethel Virtual Academy is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bethel School District, which includes Bethel Virtual Academy.
$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 Virtual Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graham Kapowsin High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spanaway Lake High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bethel High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Liberty Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spanaway Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bethel Virtual Academy'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
- 1,688
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 857
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 766
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar other schools in Spanaway
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~482 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bethel Virtual Academy's federal record.
- Compare Bethel Virtual Academy 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 Virtual Academy
How many students attend Bethel Virtual Academy?
Bethel Virtual Academy has 482 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Spanaway, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bethel Virtual Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Bethel Virtual Academy is 19.3:1, which is 10% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 23% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bethel Virtual Academy?
53.1% of students at Bethel Virtual Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bethel Virtual Academy?
The largest demographic group at Bethel Virtual Academy is White at 44.1% of enrollment, in Spanaway, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bethel Virtual Academy?
Bethel Virtual Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
Is Bethel Virtual Academy a good school?
Bethel Virtual Academy earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Washington schools. 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 Virtual Academy, Bethel School District also operates Graham Kapowsin High School (2,087 students), Spanaway Lake High School (1,787 students), and Bethel High School (1,688 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.