Enrollment
746
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lacey, WA
Chinook Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Chinook 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 530585000862
👥 S:T ratio 27
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chinook Middle School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington schools.
- #2 of 5
- middle schools in Lacey · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.2:1
- students per teacher
- 42.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Chinook Middle School has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chinook Middle School ranks #2 of 5 middle schools in Lacey, WA.
School address
District: North Thurston Public Schools · Washington
NCES ID 530585000862 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.2:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.0%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chinook Middle School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chinook Middle School
Chinook Middle School is a large middle school in Lacey, Washington, enrolling 746 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 42.0% lands close to the Washington typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 746 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 337 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #191.
Its student body is led by White (39%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 74/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 373 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 22 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Lacey's middle schools, it stands alongside Nisqually Middle School (789 students): Chinook Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.2:1 vs 16.4:1).
North Thurston Public Schools also operates River Ridge High School (1,547 students) and Timberline High School (1,401 students) alongside Chinook 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 Chinook Middle School compares
Chinook 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 | 18.2:1 | ▲ 3% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.0% | ▼ 7% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 746 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.2:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
746
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% 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
18.2:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 67% in Washington - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
21.8%
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
$15,854
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 373 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
59
in-school suspensions + 34 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 22 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
White 38.6%
Hispanic or Latino 29.0%
Two or More 13.3%
Asian 8.6%
African American 5.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 4.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 38.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.7, Chinook 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 North Thurston Public Schools, which includes Chinook Middle School.
$15,854
Per student
-19%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.4%
State 61.3%
Federal 8.3%
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 Chinook Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| River Ridge High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Timberline High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Thurston High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Nisqually Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chinook Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,547
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,401
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,378
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 789
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 776
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar middle schools in Lacey
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Nisqually Middle School
Standard public school
789 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Salish Middle School
Standard public school
745 students 20.7:1 students per teacher
Komachin Middle School
Standard public school
640 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
Aspire Middle School
Standard public school
323 students 23.1:1 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 (~746 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chinook Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Chinook Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- North Thurston Public Schools'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 Chinook Middle School
How many students attend Chinook Middle School?
Chinook Middle School has 746 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lacey, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chinook Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Chinook Middle School is 18.2:1, which is 3% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 16% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Chinook Middle School?
42.0% of students at Chinook Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chinook Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Chinook Middle School is White at 38.6% of enrollment, in Lacey, 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 Chinook Middle School?
Chinook 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 Chinook Middle School rank among middle schools in Lacey?
By Resource Investment Index, Chinook Middle School ranks #2 of 5 middle schools in Lacey, 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 Lacey on the city page.
Is Chinook Middle School a good school?
Chinook Middle School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median. 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 North Thurston Public Schools?
Besides Chinook Middle School, North Thurston Public Schools also operates River Ridge High School (1,547 students), Timberline High School (1,401 students), and North Thurston High School (1,378 students). See the North Thurston Public Schools 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.