Enrollment
1,160
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Tacoma, WA
Dr. Dolores Silas High School
Federal NCES profile for Dr. Dolores Silas High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 530870001513
👥 S:T ratio 3
📚 AP courses 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 23
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dr. Dolores Silas High School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Washington schools.
- #14 of 16
- high schools in Tacoma · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.2:1
- large classes for Washington
- 35.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Dr. Dolores Silas High School has class sizes larger than 93% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dr. Dolores Silas High School ranks #14 of 16 high schools in Tacoma, WA.
School address
District: Tacoma School District · Washington
NCES ID 530870001513 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.2:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+37% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.6%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dr. Dolores Silas High School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dr. Dolores Silas High School
Dr. Dolores Silas High School is a large high school in Tacoma, Washington, enrolling 1,160 students.
Class loads run heavy: 24.2:1 is larger than about 93% of Washington schools and 37% above the 17.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 35.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Washington, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,160 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 2,394 Washington schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 150 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Washington schools statewide, it ranks #148, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and Two or More (17%) (diversity index 69/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 9 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 387 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 55.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 32 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Tacoma's high schools, it stands alongside Stadium High School (1,700 students): Dr. Dolores Silas High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24.2:1 vs 25.4:1).
Tacoma School District also operates Stadium High School (1,700 students) and Lincoln High School (1,556 students) alongside Dr. Dolores Silas High 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 Dr. Dolores Silas High School compares
Dr. Dolores Silas High 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 | 24.2:1 | ▲ 37% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.6% | ▼ 21% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,160 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.2:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,160
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% below the Washington average of 45.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
24.2:1
students per teacher
- 37% above state mean
Top 93% in Washington - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
55.2%
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
$17,575
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 387 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 34 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 32 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 50.1%
Two or More 17.4%
Hispanic or Latino 13.2%
African American 10.3%
Asian 7.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 50.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.6, Dr. Dolores Silas High School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 9
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tacoma School District, which includes Dr. Dolores Silas High School.
$17,575
Per student
-10%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.2%
State 57.0%
Federal 12.8%
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 Dr. Dolores Silas High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stadium High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lincoln High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mount Tahoma High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Baker Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tacoma School of the Arts | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dr. Dolores Silas High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,700
- Students per teacher
- 25.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,556
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,410
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 687
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 658
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar high schools in Tacoma
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Stadium High School
Standard public school
1,700 students 25.4:1 students per teacher
Lincoln High School
Standard public school
1,556 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Mount Tahoma High School
Standard public school
1,410 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
Washington High School
Standard public school
989 students 16:1 students per teacher
Fife High School
Standard public school
885 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Tacoma School of the Arts
Standard public school
658 students 19.4:1 students per teacher
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 (~1,160 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dr. Dolores Silas High School's federal record.
- Compare Dr. Dolores Silas High School against another school. Compare schools
- Tacoma 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 Dr. Dolores Silas High School
How many students attend Dr. Dolores Silas High School?
Dr. Dolores Silas High School has 1,160 students enrolled. It is a high school in Tacoma, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dr. Dolores Silas High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Dr. Dolores Silas High School is 24.2:1, which is 37% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 54% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dr. Dolores Silas High School?
35.6% of students at Dr. Dolores Silas High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dr. Dolores Silas High School?
The largest demographic group at Dr. Dolores Silas High School is White at 50.1% of enrollment, in Tacoma, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dr. Dolores Silas High School?
Dr. Dolores Silas High School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Dr. Dolores Silas High School rank among high schools in Tacoma?
By Resource Investment Index, Dr. Dolores Silas High School ranks #14 of 16 high schools in Tacoma, 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 Tacoma on the city page.
Is Dr. Dolores Silas High School a good school?
Dr. Dolores Silas High School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% 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 Tacoma School District?
Besides Dr. Dolores Silas High School, Tacoma School District also operates Stadium High School (1,700 students), Lincoln High School (1,556 students), and Mount Tahoma High School (1,410 students). See the Tacoma 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.