Middle school (grades 6-8) · Spanaway, WA

Cedarcrest Middle School

Federal NCES profile for Cedarcrest Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.

2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 530048001819
0/100100/10042/100
👥 S:T ratio
15
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
24
📋 Attendance
59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Cedarcrest Middle School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Washington schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington schools.

#3 of 3
middle schools in Spanaway · Resource Index
42
Resource Index · Typical
21.3:1
large classes for Washington
50.7%
free-lunch eligible

Cedarcrest Middle School has class sizes larger than 85% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Cedarcrest Middle School ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Spanaway, WA.

Enrollment

765

Washington · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

36.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

21.3:1

vs 17.6:1 Washington avg

+21% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

50.7%

vs 45.0% Washington avg

+13% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Cedarcrest Middle School compares with Washington and U.S. medians

Larger 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 Cedarcrest Middle School

Cedarcrest Middle School is a higher-need, large middle school in Spanaway, Washington, enrolling 765 students.

Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 21.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.

Its free-meal eligibility rate of 50.7% lands close to the Washington typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.

Enrollment of 765 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 303 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #166.

Its student body is led by White (25%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 81/100).

Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 383 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.

16.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.

The surrounding Bethel School District spends $15,195 per pupil, 22% below the Washington average, a leaner-resourced district than most.

Among Spanaway's middle schools, it stands alongside Liberty Middle School (857 students): Cedarcrest Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.3:1 vs 20.9:1).

Bethel School District also operates Graham Kapowsin High School (2,087 students) and Spanaway Lake High School (1,787 students) alongside Cedarcrest 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 Cedarcrest Middle School compares

Cedarcrest 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 21.3:1 ▲ 21% 17.6:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 50.7% ▲ 13% 45.0% 51.7%
Enrollment 765 top 12% - -

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

21.3:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
765
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
50.7%
free-lunch eligible - 13% 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
21.3:1
students per teacher - 21% above state mean
Top 85% in Washington - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
16.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 383 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 86 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.7 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

White 25.0%
Hispanic or Latino 22.7%
Two or More 22.1%
African American 14.0%
Asian 7.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 7.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%

Largest group: White at 25.0% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 80.5/100

Simpson diversity index - at 80.5, Cedarcrest 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 Bethel School District, which includes Cedarcrest Middle School.

$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 Cedarcrest Middle School 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 Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Liberty Middle School Similar size Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Spanaway Middle School Similar size Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio

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

Other Schools in This District

Bethel School District · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar middle schools in Spanaway

2 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.

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.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on Cedarcrest Middle 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 Cedarcrest Middle School

How many students attend Cedarcrest Middle School?

Cedarcrest Middle School has 765 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Spanaway, WA.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Cedarcrest Middle School?

The student-teacher ratio at Cedarcrest Middle School is 21.3:1, which is 21% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 36% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cedarcrest Middle School?

50.7% of students at Cedarcrest Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cedarcrest Middle School?

The largest demographic group at Cedarcrest Middle School is White at 25.0% of enrollment, in Spanaway, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 80.5/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Cedarcrest Middle School?

Cedarcrest Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical 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 Cedarcrest Middle School rank among middle schools in Spanaway?

By Resource Investment Index, Cedarcrest Middle School ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Spanaway, 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 Spanaway on the city page.

Is Cedarcrest Middle School a good school?

Cedarcrest Middle School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% 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 Bethel School District?

Besides Cedarcrest Middle School, 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.

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.