Enrollment
104
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Tacoma, WA
Gates Secondary School
Federal NCES profile for Gates Secondary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 530294001769
👥 S:T ratio 65
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 79
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gates Secondary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Washington schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington schools.
- #6 of 42
- schools in Tacoma · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 8.7:1
- small classes for Washington
- 61.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Gates Secondary School has class sizes smaller than 96% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gates Secondary School ranks #6 of 42 schools in Tacoma, WA.
School address
District: Franklin Pierce School District · Washington
NCES ID 530294001769 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.7:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-51% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.6%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gates Secondary School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gates Secondary School
Gates Secondary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Tacoma, Washington, enrolling 104 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.7:1, Gates Secondary School is leaner than roughly 96% of Washington schools and 51% under the state's 17.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 61.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 104 puts it in the smaller third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 92 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #41.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (36%) and White (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 75/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 104 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 60.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Tacoma's public schools, it stands alongside Columbia Junior High School (619 students): Gates Secondary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (8.7:1 vs 20.6:1).
Franklin Pierce School District also operates Washington High School (989 students) and Franklin Pierce High School (977 students) alongside Gates Secondary 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 Gates Secondary School compares
Gates Secondary 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 | 8.7:1 | ▼ 51% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.6% | ▲ 37% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 104 | top 82% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.7:1
Leaner classes than 93% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
104
Bigger than 10% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.6%
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
8.7:1
students per teacher
- 51% below state mean
Top 4% in Washington - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
60.6%
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
$17,349
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 104 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.4 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
Hispanic or Latino 35.6%
White 26.0%
Two or More 20.2%
African American 7.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 6.7%
Asian 3.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 35.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 75.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 75.3, Gates Secondary School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Franklin Pierce School District, which includes Gates Secondary School.
$17,349
Per student
-11%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.0%
State 64.5%
Federal 13.5%
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 Gates Secondary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Franklin Pierce High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Morris Ford Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Perry G Keithley Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Brookdale Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gates Secondary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 989
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 977
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 831
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 804
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 483
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar other schools in Tacoma
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Columbia Junior High School
Standard public school
619 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Sheridan Elementary School
Standard public school
525 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Geiger Montessori School
Standard public school
521 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Boze Elementary School
Standard public school
485 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Brookdale Elementary
Standard public school
483 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Birney Elementary School
Standard public school
476 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~104 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gates Secondary School's federal record.
- Compare Gates Secondary School against another school. Compare schools
- Franklin Pierce 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 Gates Secondary School
How many students attend Gates Secondary School?
Gates Secondary School has 104 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Tacoma, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gates Secondary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Gates Secondary School is 8.7:1, which is 51% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 45% lower 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 Gates Secondary School?
61.6% of students at Gates Secondary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gates Secondary School?
The largest demographic group at Gates Secondary School is Hispanic or Latino at 35.6% of enrollment, in Tacoma, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 75.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gates Secondary School?
Gates Secondary School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Gates Secondary School rank among schools in Tacoma?
By Resource Investment Index, Gates Secondary School ranks #6 of 42 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 schools in Tacoma on the city page.
Is Gates Secondary School a good school?
Gates Secondary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Washington schools. 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 Franklin Pierce School District?
Besides Gates Secondary School, Franklin Pierce School District also operates Washington High School (989 students), Franklin Pierce High School (977 students), and Morris Ford Middle School (831 students). See the Franklin Pierce 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.