Enrollment
671
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Seattle, WA
Cascade Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Cascade Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 530354000522
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 75
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cascade Middle School earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #1 of 6
- middle schools in Seattle · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.6:1
- students per teacher
- 72.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Cascade Middle School has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cascade Middle School ranks #1 of 6 middle schools in Seattle, WA.
School address
District: Highline School District · Washington
NCES ID 530354000522 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.3%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cascade Middle School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cascade Middle School
Cascade Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Seattle, Washington, enrolling 671 students.
At 15.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Washington median, within a few percentage points of the 17.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 72.3% of students qualify for free meals, 61% above the Washington average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 671 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 90% of the 2,394 Washington schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 246 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Washington schools statewide, it ranks #6, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (49%) and Asian (23%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 224 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
10.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Seattle's middle schools, it stands alongside Jane Addams Middle School (824 students): Cascade Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.6:1 vs 17.2:1).
Highline School District also operates Mount Rainier High School (1,846 students) and Highline High School (1,423 students) alongside Cascade Middle 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 Cascade Middle School compares
Cascade Middle 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 | 15.6:1 | ▼ 11% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.3% | ▲ 61% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 671 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
671
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 61% above the Washington average of 45.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 41% in Washington - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
10.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 224 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
67
in-school suspensions + 27 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.0 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 49.0%
Asian 23.4%
African American 11.4%
Two or More 8.1%
White 6.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 49.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.1, Cascade Middle 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 Cascade Middle 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 Cascade Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Rainier High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highline High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Evergreen High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Glacier Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tyee High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cascade Middle 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
- 644
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar middle schools in Seattle
5 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Jane Addams Middle School
Standard public school
824 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Aki Kurose Middle School
Standard public school
817 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Robert Eagle Staff Middle School
Standard public school
729 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Dimmitt Middle School
Standard public school
605 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Edmonds S. Meany Middle School
Standard public school
504 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~671 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cascade Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Cascade Middle 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 Cascade Middle School
How many students attend Cascade Middle School?
Cascade Middle School has 671 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Seattle, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cascade Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cascade Middle School is 15.6:1, which is 11% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 1% 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 Cascade Middle School?
72.3% of students at Cascade Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cascade Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Cascade Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 49.0% of enrollment, in Seattle, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cascade Middle School?
Cascade Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (higher 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 Cascade Middle School rank among middle schools in Seattle?
By Resource Investment Index, Cascade Middle School ranks #1 of 6 middle schools in Seattle, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Seattle on the city page.
Is Cascade Middle School a good school?
Cascade Middle School earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median. 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 Cascade Middle 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.