Enrollment
605
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Graham, WA
Cougar Mountain Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Cougar Mountain Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 530048003158
👥 S:T ratio 19
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cougar Mountain Middle School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Washington schools.
- #4 of 9
- public schools in Graham · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 20.2:1
- large classes for Washington
- 44.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Cougar Mountain Middle School has class sizes larger than 80% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cougar Mountain Middle School ranks #4 of 9 public schools in Graham, WA.
School address
District: Bethel School District · Washington
NCES ID 530048003158 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.2:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.8%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cougar Mountain Middle School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cougar Mountain Middle School
Cougar Mountain Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Graham, Washington, enrolling 605 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 44.8% lands close to the Washington typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 605 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 451 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #68.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 245 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
14.2% 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 Graham's middle schools, it stands alongside Frontier Middle School (620 students): Cougar Mountain Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.2:1 vs 21.4:1).
Bethel School District also operates Graham Kapowsin High School (2,087 students) and Spanaway Lake High School (1,787 students) alongside Cougar Mountain 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 Cougar Mountain Middle School compares
Cougar Mountain 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 | 20.2:1 | ▲ 15% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.8% | ▼ 0% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 605 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.2:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
605
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 0% 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
20.2:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 80% in Washington - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
14.2%
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
$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
Counselors2.5 FTE
Per 245 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 65 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.2 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 60.6%
Hispanic or Latino 21.4%
Two or More 12.4%
Asian 1.7%
African American 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.2%
Largest group: White at 60.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.1, Cougar Mountain 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 Cougar Mountain 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 Cougar Mountain Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graham Kapowsin High School | Larger | Similar 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 | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Spanaway Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cougar Mountain Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,087
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,787
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,688
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 857
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 766
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar middle schools in Graham
1 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.
Similar enrollment (~605 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cougar Mountain Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Cougar Mountain Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Bethel 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 Cougar Mountain Middle School
How many students attend Cougar Mountain Middle School?
Cougar Mountain Middle School has 605 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Graham, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cougar Mountain Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cougar Mountain Middle School is 20.2:1, which is 15% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 29% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cougar Mountain Middle School?
44.8% of students at Cougar Mountain Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cougar Mountain Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Cougar Mountain Middle School is White at 60.6% of enrollment, in Graham, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cougar Mountain Middle School?
Cougar Mountain Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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 Cougar Mountain Middle School rank among public schools in Graham?
By Resource Investment Index, Cougar Mountain Middle School ranks #4 of 9 public schools in Graham, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Graham on the city page.
Is Cougar Mountain Middle School a good school?
Cougar Mountain Middle School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% 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 Bethel School District?
Besides Cougar Mountain 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.
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.