Enrollment
575
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Bellingham, WA
Kulshan Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Kulshan Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 530042001739
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kulshan Middle School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #1 of 4
- middle schools in Bellingham · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.5:1
- students per teacher
- 23.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Kulshan Middle School has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kulshan Middle School ranks #1 of 4 middle schools in Bellingham, WA.
School address
District: Bellingham School District · Washington
NCES ID 530042001739 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.9%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-47% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kulshan Middle School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kulshan Middle School
Kulshan Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Bellingham, Washington, enrolling 575 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 23.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 575 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 472 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #137.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 249 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Bellingham's middle schools, it stands alongside Whatcom Middle School (637 students): Kulshan Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.5:1 vs 17.7:1).
Bellingham School District also operates Squalicum High School (1,273 students) and Bellingham High School (1,165 students) alongside Kulshan 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 Kulshan Middle School compares
Kulshan 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 | 15.5:1 | ▼ 12% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.9% | ▼ 47% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 575 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
575
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 47% 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
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 40% in Washington - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.0%
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
$16,802
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.3 FTE
Per 249 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 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 73.6%
Hispanic or Latino 12.7%
Two or More 9.4%
Asian 2.3%
African American 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 73.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.3, Kulshan Middle School is less mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bellingham School District, which includes Kulshan Middle School.
$16,802
Per student
-14%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.7%
State 59.5%
Federal 9.9%
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 Kulshan Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Squalicum High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bellingham High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sehome High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Whatcom Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shuksan Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kulshan Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,273
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,165
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,116
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 637
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 606
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar middle schools in Bellingham
3 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 (~575 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kulshan Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Kulshan Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Bellingham 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 Kulshan Middle School
How many students attend Kulshan Middle School?
Kulshan Middle School has 575 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Bellingham, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kulshan Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Kulshan Middle School is 15.5:1, which is 12% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 1% 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 Kulshan Middle School?
23.9% of students at Kulshan Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kulshan Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Kulshan Middle School is White at 73.6% of enrollment, in Bellingham, WA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kulshan Middle School?
Kulshan Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Kulshan Middle School rank among middle schools in Bellingham?
By Resource Investment Index, Kulshan Middle School ranks #1 of 4 middle schools in Bellingham, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Bellingham on the city page.
Is Kulshan Middle School a good school?
Kulshan Middle School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median. 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 Bellingham School District?
Besides Kulshan Middle School, Bellingham School District also operates Squalicum High School (1,273 students), Bellingham High School (1,165 students), and Sehome High School (1,116 students). See the Bellingham 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.