Enrollment
789
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lacey, WA
Nisqually Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Nisqually Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 530585000868
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Nisqually Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #4 of 5
- middle schools in Lacey · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.4:1
- students per teacher
- 47.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Nisqually Middle School has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Nisqually Middle School ranks #4 of 5 middle schools in Lacey, WA.
School address
District: North Thurston Public Schools · Washington
NCES ID 530585000868 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.9%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Nisqually Middle School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Nisqually Middle School
Nisqually Middle School is a large middle school in Lacey, Washington, enrolling 789 students.
At 16.4:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 47.9% lands close to the Washington typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 789 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.
Among 284 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Washington schools statewide, it ranks #205, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (41%) and Hispanic or Latino (28%) (diversity index 73/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 403 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 19 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Lacey's middle schools, it stands alongside Chinook Middle School (746 students): Nisqually Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.4:1 vs 18.2:1).
North Thurston Public Schools also operates River Ridge High School (1,547 students) and Timberline High School (1,401 students) alongside Nisqually 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 Nisqually Middle School compares
Nisqually 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 | 16.4:1 | ▼ 7% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.9% | ▲ 6% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 789 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
789
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% 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
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 50% in Washington - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
28.9%
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
$15,854
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 403 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
57
in-school suspensions + 73 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 19 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 40.5%
Hispanic or Latino 28.2%
Two or More 14.6%
Asian 6.5%
African American 4.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.0%
Largest group: White at 40.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.7, Nisqually 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 North Thurston Public Schools, which includes Nisqually Middle School.
$15,854
Per student
-19%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.4%
State 61.3%
Federal 8.3%
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 Nisqually Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| River Ridge High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Timberline High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Thurston High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Meadows Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Nisqually Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,547
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,401
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,378
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 776
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 765
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar middle schools in Lacey
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Chinook Middle School
Standard public school
746 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Salish Middle School
Standard public school
745 students 20.7:1 students per teacher
Komachin Middle School
Standard public school
640 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
Aspire Middle School
Standard public school
323 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
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 (~789 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Nisqually Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Nisqually Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- North Thurston Public Schools'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 Nisqually Middle School
How many students attend Nisqually Middle School?
Nisqually Middle School has 789 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lacey, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Nisqually Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Nisqually Middle School is 16.4:1, which is 7% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 4% 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 Nisqually Middle School?
47.9% of students at Nisqually Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Nisqually Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Nisqually Middle School is White at 40.5% of enrollment, in Lacey, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Nisqually Middle School?
Nisqually Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Nisqually Middle School rank among middle schools in Lacey?
By Resource Investment Index, Nisqually Middle School ranks #4 of 5 middle schools in Lacey, 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 Lacey on the city page.
Is Nisqually Middle School a good school?
Nisqually Middle School earns 38/100 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 North Thurston Public Schools?
Besides Nisqually Middle School, North Thurston Public Schools also operates River Ridge High School (1,547 students), Timberline High School (1,401 students), and North Thurston High School (1,378 students). See the North Thurston Public Schools 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.