Enrollment
616
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Issaquah, 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 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 530375003795
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cougar Mountain Middle School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Washington schools.
- #4 of 6
- public schools in Issaquah · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.7:1
- large classes for Washington
- 8.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Cougar Mountain Middle School has class sizes larger than 94% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cougar Mountain Middle School ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Issaquah, WA.
School address
District: Issaquah School District · Washington
NCES ID 530375003795 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.7:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+46% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
8.1%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-82% 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 lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Issaquah, Washington, enrolling 616 students.
Class loads run heavy: 25.7:1 is larger than about 94% of Washington schools and 46% above the 17.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 8.1% free-meal eligibility runs 82% below the Washington average.
Enrollment of 616 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 253 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #149.
Its student body is led by White (42%) and Asian (34%) (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 308 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
11.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Issaquah's middle schools, it stands alongside Pacific Cascade Middle School (605 students): Cougar Mountain Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.7:1 vs 18.9:1).
Issaquah School District also operates Issaquah High School (2,419 students) and Skyline High School (2,244 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 | 25.7:1 | ▲ 46% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 8.1% | ▼ 82% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 616 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.7:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
616
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
8.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 82% below the Washington average of 45.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
25.7:1
students per teacher
- 46% above state mean
Top 94% in Washington - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
11.5%
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
$16,527
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 308 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.4 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 41.6%
Asian 33.8%
Two or More 11.0%
Hispanic or Latino 9.4%
African American 3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 41.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.0, 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 Issaquah School District, which includes Cougar Mountain Middle School.
$16,527
Per student
-15%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.4%
State 55.4%
Federal 7.2%
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.
How Cougar Mountain Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Issaquah High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Skyline High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Liberty Sr High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pine Lake Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Maywood Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower 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
- 2,419
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,244
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,495
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 877
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 826
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar middle schools in Issaquah
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 (~616 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cougar Mountain Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Cougar Mountain Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Issaquah 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 616 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Issaquah, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cougar Mountain Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cougar Mountain Middle School is 25.7:1, which is 46% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 64% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cougar Mountain Middle School?
8.1% 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 41.6% of enrollment, in Issaquah, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cougar Mountain Middle School?
Cougar Mountain Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Cougar Mountain Middle School rank among public schools in Issaquah?
By Resource Investment Index, Cougar Mountain Middle School ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Issaquah, 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 Issaquah on the city page.
Is Cougar Mountain Middle School a good school?
Cougar Mountain Middle School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% 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 Issaquah School District?
Besides Cougar Mountain Middle School, Issaquah School District also operates Issaquah High School (2,419 students), Skyline High School (2,244 students), and Liberty Sr High School (1,495 students). See the Issaquah 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.