Other / mixed grade configuration · Tacoma, WA

Blix Elementary School

Federal NCES profile for Blix Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.

2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 530870001496
0/100100/10031/100
👥 S:T ratio
41
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
12
📋 Attendance
0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Blix Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 70% of Washington schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington schools.

#30 of 42
schools in Tacoma · Resource Index
31
Resource Index · Lower
14.7:1
small classes for Washington
60.0%
free-lunch eligible

Blix Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 70% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Blix Elementary School ranks #30 of 42 schools in Tacoma, WA.

Enrollment

442

Washington · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

30.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

14.7:1

vs 17.6:1 Washington avg

-16% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

60.0%

vs 45.0% Washington avg

+33% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Blix Elementary School compares with Washington and U.S. medians

Smaller classes than state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at Blix Elementary School

Blix Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Tacoma, Washington, enrolling 442 students.

Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.

Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 60.0% of students eligible for free meals.

With 442 students, its enrollment sits close to the Washington median campus size.

Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.

Among 443 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Washington schools statewide, it ranks #397, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.

Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (42%) and White (20%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 74/100).

Counselor access is stretched at roughly 442 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.

Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 72.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).

The federal civil-rights collection also records 21 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.

Among Tacoma's public schools, it stands alongside Columbia Junior High School (619 students): Blix Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.7:1 vs 20.6:1).

Tacoma School District also operates Stadium High School (1,700 students) and Lincoln High School (1,556 students) alongside Blix Elementary 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 Blix Elementary School compares

Blix Elementary 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 14.7:1 ▼ 16% 17.6:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 60.0% ▲ 33% 45.0% 51.7%
Enrollment 442 top 40% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
442
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
60.0%
free-lunch eligible - 33% 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
14.7:1
students per teacher - 16% below state mean
Top 30% in Washington - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
72.2%
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
$17,575
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 442 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 27 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 21 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

Hispanic or Latino 42.3%
White 19.9%
Two or More 12.2%
Asian 12.0%
African American 9.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 3.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 42.3% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 74.1/100

Simpson diversity index - at 74.1, Blix Elementary School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tacoma School District, which includes Blix Elementary School.

$17,575
Per student
-10%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.2%
State 57.0%
Federal 12.8%

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 Blix Elementary School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Stadium High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Lincoln High School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Mount Tahoma High School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Dr. Dolores Silas High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Baker Middle School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Blix Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Tacoma School District · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar other schools in Tacoma

6 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.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on Blix Elementary School's federal record.

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 Blix Elementary School

How many students attend Blix Elementary School?

Blix Elementary School has 442 students enrolled. It is a public school in Tacoma, WA.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Blix Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Blix Elementary School is 14.7:1, which is 16% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 6% 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 Blix Elementary School?

60.0% of students at Blix Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Blix Elementary School?

The largest demographic group at Blix Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 42.3% of enrollment, in Tacoma, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 74.1/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Blix Elementary School?

Blix Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Blix Elementary School rank among schools in Tacoma?

By Resource Investment Index, Blix Elementary School ranks #30 of 42 schools in Tacoma, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Tacoma on the city page.

Is Blix Elementary School a good school?

Blix Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 70% 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 Tacoma School District?

Besides Blix Elementary School, Tacoma School District also operates Stadium High School (1,700 students), Lincoln High School (1,556 students), and Mount Tahoma High School (1,410 students). See the Tacoma School District district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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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.