Enrollment
1,378
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Lacey, WA
North Thurston High School
Federal NCES profile for North Thurston High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 530585000869
👥 S:T ratio 22
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
North Thurston High School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Washington schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Washington.
- #1 of 4
- high schools in Lacey · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.4:1
- large classes for Washington
- 36.5%
- free-lunch eligible
North Thurston High School has class sizes larger than 75% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, North Thurston High School ranks #1 of 4 high schools in Lacey, WA.
School address
District: North Thurston Public Schools · Washington
NCES ID 530585000869 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
71.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.4:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.5%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How North Thurston High School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at North Thurston High School
North Thurston High School is a large high school in Lacey, Washington, enrolling 1,378 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 36.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Washington, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,378 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 107 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #26.
Its student body is led by White (42%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%) (diversity index 72/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 276 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 26 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Lacey's high schools, it stands alongside River Ridge High School (1,547 students): North Thurston High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.4:1 vs 20.1:1).
North Thurston Public Schools also operates River Ridge High School (1,547 students) and Timberline High School (1,401 students) alongside North Thurston 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 North Thurston High School compares
North Thurston 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 | 19.4:1 | ▲ 10% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.5% | ▼ 19% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,378 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.4:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,378
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
19.4:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 75% in Washington - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
20.7%
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 276 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
21
in-school suspensions + 43 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 26 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 42.2%
Hispanic or Latino 26.8%
Two or More 13.2%
Asian 9.1%
African American 4.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 3.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 42.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.1, North Thurston High School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 11
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for North Thurston Public Schools, which includes North Thurston High 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 North Thurston High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| River Ridge High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Timberline High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Nisqually Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Meadows Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to North Thurston High 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
- 789
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 776
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 765
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar high schools in Lacey
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
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 (~1,378 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on North Thurston High School's federal record.
- Compare North Thurston High 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 North Thurston High School
How many students attend North Thurston High School?
North Thurston High School has 1,378 students enrolled. It is a high school in Lacey, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North Thurston High School?
The student-teacher ratio at North Thurston High School is 19.4:1, which is 10% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at North Thurston High School?
36.5% of students at North Thurston High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of North Thurston High School?
The largest demographic group at North Thurston High School is White at 42.2% of enrollment, in Lacey, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for North Thurston High School?
North Thurston High School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 North Thurston High School rank among high schools in Lacey?
By Resource Investment Index, North Thurston High School ranks #1 of 4 high 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 high schools in Lacey on the city page.
Is North Thurston High School a good school?
North Thurston High School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Washington schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Washington. 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 North Thurston High School, North Thurston Public Schools also operates River Ridge High School (1,547 students), Timberline High School (1,401 students), and Nisqually Middle School (789 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.