Enrollment
233
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Burien, WA
Big Picture School
Federal NCES profile for Big Picture School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 65/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 530354002976
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 75
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Big Picture School earns 65/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of Washington schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington schools.
- #1 of 7
- schools in Burien · Resource Index
- 65
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.3:1
- small classes for Washington
- 43.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Big Picture School has class sizes smaller than 88% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Big Picture School ranks #1 of 7 schools in Burien, WA.
School address
District: Highline School District · Washington
NCES ID 530354002976 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.6%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Big Picture School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Big Picture School
Big Picture School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Burien, Washington, enrolling 233 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12.3:1, Big Picture School is leaner than roughly 88% of Washington schools and 30% under the state's 17.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 43.6% lands close to the Washington typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 233 puts it in the smaller third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 2,394 Washington schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 209 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Washington schools statewide, it ranks #11, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (37%) and White (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 74/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Burien's public schools, it stands alongside Gregory Heights Elementary (488 students): Big Picture School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.3:1 vs 19.5:1).
Highline School District also operates Mount Rainier High School (1,846 students) and Highline High School (1,423 students) alongside Big Picture 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 Big Picture School compares
Big Picture 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 | 12.3:1 | ▼ 30% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.6% | ▼ 3% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 233 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.3:1
Leaner classes than 73% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
233
Bigger than 23% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% 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
12.3:1
students per teacher
- 30% below state mean
Top 12% in Washington - lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
9.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$19,077
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 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
Hispanic or Latino 37.0%
White 29.5%
Two or More 16.3%
Asian 8.8%
African American 7.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 37.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.7, Big Picture School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Highline School District, which includes Big Picture School.
$19,077
Per student
-2%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.7%
State 55.7%
Federal 14.6%
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 Big Picture School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Rainier High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highline High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Evergreen High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Glacier Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cascade Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Big Picture School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,846
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,423
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,080
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 803
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 671
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
Similar other schools in Burien
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Gregory Heights Elementary
Standard public school
488 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
Hazel Valley Elementary
Standard public school
469 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Seahurst Elementary School
Standard public school
405 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Shorewood Elementary
Standard public school
400 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Cedarhurst Elementary
Standard public school
399 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Highline Home School Center
Alternative education program
10 students
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 (~233 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Big Picture School's federal record.
- Compare Big Picture School against another school. Compare schools
- Highline 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 Big Picture School
How many students attend Big Picture School?
Big Picture School has 233 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Burien, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Big Picture School?
The student-teacher ratio at Big Picture School is 12.3:1, which is 30% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 22% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Big Picture School?
43.6% of students at Big Picture School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Big Picture School?
The largest demographic group at Big Picture School is Hispanic or Latino at 37.0% of enrollment, in Burien, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Big Picture School?
Big Picture School has a Resource Investment Index of 65/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Big Picture School rank among schools in Burien?
By Resource Investment Index, Big Picture School ranks #1 of 7 schools in Burien, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Burien on the city page.
Is Big Picture School a good school?
Big Picture School earns 65/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of Washington schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Highline School District?
Besides Big Picture School, Highline School District also operates Mount Rainier High School (1,846 students), Highline High School (1,423 students), and Evergreen High School (1,080 students). See the Highline 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.