Enrollment
176
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Bellingham, WA
Options High School
Federal NCES profile for Options High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 530042001738
👥 S:T ratio 65
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 65
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Options High School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Washington schools.
- #2 of 8
- high schools in Bellingham · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 8.8:1
- small classes for Washington
- 52.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Options High School has class sizes smaller than 96% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Options High School ranks #2 of 8 high schools in Bellingham, WA.
School address
District: Bellingham School District · Washington
NCES ID 530042001738 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.8:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-50% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.7%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Options High School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Options High School
Options High School is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Bellingham, Washington, enrolling 176 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.8:1, Options High School is leaner than roughly 96% of Washington schools and 50% 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 52.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 176 puts it in the smaller third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 150 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #52.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%) (diversity index 39/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 176 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 64.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Bellingham's high schools, it stands alongside Squalicum High School (1,273 students): Options High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (8.8:1 vs 19.9:1).
Bellingham School District also operates Squalicum High School (1,273 students) and Bellingham High School (1,165 students) alongside Options 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 Options High School compares
Options 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 | 8.8:1 | ▼ 50% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.7% | ▲ 17% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 176 | top 75% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.8:1
Leaner classes than 93% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
176
Bigger than 17% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
8.8:1
students per teacher
- 50% 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
64.2%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 176 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 26 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.3 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 76.1%
Hispanic or Latino 16.6%
Two or More 3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.5%
African American 1.2%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: White at 76.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.2, Options High School is less mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bellingham School District, which includes Options High 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 Options High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Squalicum High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bellingham High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sehome High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Whatcom Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shuksan Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Options High 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 high schools in Bellingham
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Squalicum High School
Standard public school
1,273 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Bellingham High School
Standard public school
1,165 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
Sehome High School
Standard public school
1,116 students 20.7:1 students per teacher
Bellingham Re-Engagement Program
Alternative education program
110 students
Intergenerational High School
Standard public school
107 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Meridian Impact Re-Engagement
Alternative education program
21 students
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 (~176 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Options High School's federal record.
- Compare Options High 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 Options High School
How many students attend Options High School?
Options High School has 176 students enrolled. It is a high school in Bellingham, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Options High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Options High School is 8.8:1, which is 50% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 44% 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 Options High School?
52.7% of students at Options High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Options High School?
The largest demographic group at Options High School is White at 76.1% of enrollment, in Bellingham, WA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Options High School?
Options High School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Options High School rank among high schools in Bellingham?
By Resource Investment Index, Options High School ranks #2 of 8 high 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 high schools in Bellingham on the city page.
Is Options High School a good school?
Options High School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of 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 Bellingham School District?
Besides Options High 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.