Enrollment
857
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Spanaway, WA
Liberty Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Liberty Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 530048003343
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 63
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Liberty Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Washington schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington schools.
- #1 of 3
- middle schools in Spanaway · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.9:1
- large classes for Washington
- 44.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Liberty Middle School has class sizes larger than 83% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Liberty Middle School ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Spanaway, WA.
School address
District: Bethel School District · Washington
NCES ID 530048003343 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.9:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.4%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Liberty Middle School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Liberty Middle School
Liberty Middle School is a large middle school in Spanaway, Washington, enrolling 857 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 44.4% lands close to the Washington typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Washington, bigger than 91% of state schools at 857 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 240 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #46.
Its student body is led by White (36%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 77/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 286 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
14.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Bethel School District spends $15,195 per pupil, 22% below the Washington average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Spanaway's middle schools, it stands alongside Cedarcrest Middle School (765 students): Liberty Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.9:1 vs 21.3:1).
Bethel School District also operates Graham Kapowsin High School (2,087 students) and Spanaway Lake High School (1,787 students) alongside Liberty 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 Liberty Middle School compares
Liberty 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 | 20.9:1 | ▲ 19% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.4% | ▼ 1% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 857 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.9:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
857
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% below the Washington average of 45.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20.9:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 83% in Washington - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
14.7%
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
$15,195
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 286 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 118 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.1 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 35.8%
Hispanic or Latino 21.8%
Two or More 18.0%
African American 11.3%
Asian 6.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 6.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: White at 35.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 77.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 77.2, Liberty 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 Bethel School District, which includes Liberty Middle School.
$15,195
Per student
-22%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.6%
State 66.9%
Federal 8.5%
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 Liberty Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graham Kapowsin High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spanaway Lake High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bethel High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Spanaway Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cedarcrest Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Liberty Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,087
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,787
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,688
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 766
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 765
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar middle schools in Spanaway
2 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 (~857 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Liberty Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Liberty Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Bethel 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 Liberty Middle School
How many students attend Liberty Middle School?
Liberty Middle School has 857 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Spanaway, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Liberty Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Liberty Middle School is 20.9:1, which is 19% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 33% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Liberty Middle School?
44.4% of students at Liberty Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Liberty Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Liberty Middle School is White at 35.8% of enrollment, in Spanaway, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 77.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Liberty Middle School?
Liberty Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Liberty Middle School rank among middle schools in Spanaway?
By Resource Investment Index, Liberty Middle School ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Spanaway, 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 Spanaway on the city page.
Is Liberty Middle School a good school?
Liberty Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% 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 Bethel School District?
Besides Liberty Middle School, Bethel School District also operates Graham Kapowsin High School (2,087 students), Spanaway Lake High School (1,787 students), and Bethel High School (1,688 students). See the Bethel 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.