Enrollment
934
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lakewood, WA
Thomas Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Thomas Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 530141000272
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thomas Middle School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Washington schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington schools.
- #3 of 3
- middle schools in Lakewood · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.5:1
- large classes for Washington
- 41.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Thomas Middle School has class sizes larger than 75% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas Middle School ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Lakewood, WA.
School address
District: Clover Park School District · Washington
NCES ID 530141000272 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.5:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.4%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thomas Middle School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thomas Middle School
Thomas Middle School is a large middle school in Lakewood, Washington, enrolling 934 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 41.4% 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 92% of state schools at 934 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 202 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #142.
Its student body is led by White (32%) and Hispanic or Latino (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 77/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 311 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Lakewood's middle schools, it stands alongside Hudtloff Middle School (555 students): Thomas Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.5:1 vs 16.3:1).
Clover Park School District also operates Clover Park High School (1,161 students) and Lakes High School (1,158 students) alongside Thomas 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 Thomas Middle School compares
Thomas 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 | 19.5:1 | ▲ 11% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.4% | ▼ 8% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 934 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.5:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
934
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% 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
19.5:1
students per teacher
- 11% 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
28.1%
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
$17,376
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 311 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
37
in-school suspensions + 81 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.6 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 32.2%
Hispanic or Latino 27.8%
Two or More 16.0%
African American 12.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 6.8%
Asian 4.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 32.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 77.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 77.1, Thomas 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 Clover Park School District, which includes Thomas Middle School.
$17,376
Per student
-11%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.7%
State 65.9%
Federal 20.3%
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 Thomas Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clover Park High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lakes High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| General William H. Harrison Preparatory School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rainier Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hillside Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thomas Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,161
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,158
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 738
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 576
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 567
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar middle schools in Lakewood
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 (~934 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thomas Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Thomas Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Clover Park 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 Thomas Middle School
How many students attend Thomas Middle School?
Thomas Middle School has 934 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lakewood, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thomas Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thomas Middle School is 19.5:1, which is 11% 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 Thomas Middle School?
41.4% of students at Thomas Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thomas Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Thomas Middle School is White at 32.2% of enrollment, in Lakewood, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 77.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thomas Middle School?
Thomas Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Thomas Middle School rank among middle schools in Lakewood?
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas Middle School ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Lakewood, 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 Lakewood on the city page.
Is Thomas Middle School a good school?
Thomas Middle School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% 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 Clover Park School District?
Besides Thomas Middle School, Clover Park School District also operates Clover Park High School (1,161 students), Lakes High School (1,158 students), and General William H. Harrison Preparatory School (738 students). See the Clover Park 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.