Enrollment
126
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Des Moines, WA
Cascade Public Schools
Federal NCES profile for Cascade Public Schools, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 530034903783Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 54
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cascade Public Schools earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of Washington schools.
- #1 of 3
- high schools in Des Moines · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.5:1
- small classes for Washington
- 87.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Cascade Public Schools has class sizes smaller than 91% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cascade Public Schools ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Des Moines, WA.
School address
District: Why Not You Academy · Washington
NCES ID 530034903783 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.5:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
87.7%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+95% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cascade Public Schools compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cascade Public Schools
Cascade Public Schools is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter high school in Des Moines, Washington, enrolling 126 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.5:1, Cascade Public Schools is leaner than roughly 91% of Washington schools and 35% under the state's 17.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 87.7% of students qualify for free meals, 95% above the Washington average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 126 puts it in the smaller third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 98% of the 2,394 Washington schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 45 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Washington schools statewide, it ranks #4, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 49/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Why Not You Academy spends $32,160 per pupil, 65% above the Washington average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 27.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Des Moines's high schools, it stands alongside Mount Rainier High School (1,846 students): Cascade Public Schools is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.5:1 vs 24:1).
Why Not You Academy is a single-school charter district, so Cascade Public Schools operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Public Schools compares
Cascade Public Schools on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.5:1 | ▼ 35% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.7% | ▲ 95% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 126 | top 80% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.5:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
126
Bigger than 12% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
87.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 95% 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
11.5:1
students per teacher
- 35% below state mean
Top 9% in Washington - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
5.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$32,160
per pupil, district-wide
- above Washington avg of $19,487
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
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
African American 69.0%
Hispanic or Latino 15.1%
White 9.5%
Asian 2.4%
Two or More 2.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.6%
Largest group: African American at 69.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.1, Cascade Public Schools is less mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Why Not You Academy, which includes Cascade Public Schools.
$32,160
Per student
+65%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+94%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.1%
State 45.7%
Federal 27.2%
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.
Similar high schools in Des Moines
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 (~126 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cascade Public Schools's federal record.
- Compare Cascade Public Schools against another school. Compare schools
- Why Not You Academy'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 Public Schools
How many students attend Cascade Public Schools?
Cascade Public Schools has 126 students enrolled. It is a high school in Des Moines, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cascade Public Schools?
The student-teacher ratio at Cascade Public Schools is 11.5:1, which is 35% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 27% 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 Public Schools?
87.7% of students at Cascade Public Schools are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cascade Public Schools?
The largest demographic group at Cascade Public Schools is African American at 69.0% of enrollment, in Des Moines, WA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cascade Public Schools?
Cascade Public Schools has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cascade Public Schools rank among high schools in Des Moines?
By Resource Investment Index, Cascade Public Schools ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Des Moines, 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 Des Moines on the city page.
Is Cascade Public Schools a good school?
Cascade Public Schools earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% 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 Why Not You Academy?
None; Why Not You Academy is a single-school charter district, and Cascade Public Schools is its only campus.
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.