Enrollment
599
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Tacoma, WA
Foss High School
Federal NCES profile for Foss High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 530870001466
👥 S:T ratio 34
📚 AP courses 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Foss High School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington schools.
- #6 of 16
- high schools in Tacoma · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.6:1
- students per teacher
- 61.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Foss High School has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Foss High School ranks #6 of 16 high schools in Tacoma, WA.
School address
District: Tacoma School District · Washington
NCES ID 530870001466 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.5%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Foss High School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Foss High School
Foss High School is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Tacoma, Washington, enrolling 599 students.
At 16.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Washington median, within a few percentage points of the 17.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 61.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 599 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 364 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #248.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (25%) and White (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 80/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 9 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 240 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 74.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 35 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Tacoma's high schools, it stands alongside Stadium High School (1,700 students): Foss High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.6:1 vs 25.4:1).
Tacoma School District also operates Stadium High School (1,700 students) and Lincoln High School (1,556 students) alongside Foss 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 Foss High School compares
Foss 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 | 16.6:1 | ▼ 6% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.5% | ▲ 37% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 599 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
599
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% 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
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 52% in Washington - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
74.5%
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
Counselors2.5 FTE
Per 240 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 35 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
Hispanic or Latino 24.8%
White 24.5%
African American 21.1%
Two or More 16.1%
Asian 7.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 4.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 24.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 80.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 80.0, Foss 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 Foss 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 Foss High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stadium High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mount Tahoma High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dr. Dolores Silas High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Baker Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Foss 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
- 1,160
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 687
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- 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
Dr. Dolores Silas High School
Standard public school
1,160 students 24.2:1 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
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 (~599 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Foss High School's federal record.
- Compare Foss 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 Foss High School
How many students attend Foss High School?
Foss High School has 599 students enrolled. It is a high school in Tacoma, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Foss High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Foss High School is 16.6:1, which is 6% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Foss High School?
61.5% of students at Foss High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Foss High School?
The largest demographic group at Foss High School is Hispanic or Latino at 24.8% of enrollment, in Tacoma, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 80.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Foss High School?
Foss High School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical 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 Foss High School rank among high schools in Tacoma?
By Resource Investment Index, Foss High School ranks #6 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 Foss High School a good school?
Foss High School earns 40/100 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 Tacoma School District?
Besides Foss 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.