Enrollment
989
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Tacoma, WA
Washington High School
Federal NCES profile for Washington High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 530294000483
👥 S:T ratio 36
📚 AP courses 60
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Washington High School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington schools.
- #5 of 16
- high schools in Tacoma · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16:1
- students per teacher
- 59.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Washington High School has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Washington High School ranks #5 of 16 high schools in Tacoma, WA.
School address
District: Franklin Pierce School District · Washington
NCES ID 530294000483 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
62.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.0%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Washington High School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Washington High School
Washington High School is a higher-need, large high school in Tacoma, Washington, enrolling 989 students.
At 16:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 59.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Washington, bigger than 93% of state schools at 989 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 142 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #80.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (33%) and White (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 79/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 12 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 247 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Discipline events run high: 231 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 989 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Tacoma's high schools, it stands alongside Stadium High School (1,700 students): Washington High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16:1 vs 25.4:1).
Franklin Pierce School District also operates Franklin Pierce High School (977 students) and Morris Ford Middle School (831 students) alongside Washington 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 Washington High School compares
Washington 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 | 16:1 | ▼ 9% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.0% | ▲ 31% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 989 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
989
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
59.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% 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
16:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 46% in Washington - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
22.2%
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
$17,349
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 247 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
58
in-school suspensions + 173 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.4 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
Hispanic or Latino 33.3%
White 23.5%
Two or More 14.6%
African American 12.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 8.9%
Asian 6.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 33.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 78.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 78.5, Washington High School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 12
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Franklin Pierce School District, which includes Washington High School.
$17,349
Per student
-11%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.0%
State 64.5%
Federal 13.5%
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 Washington High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin Pierce High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Morris Ford Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Perry G Keithley Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Brookdale Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Collins Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Washington High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 977
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 831
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 804
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 483
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 466
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar high schools in Tacoma
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Stadium High School
Standard public school
1,700 students 25.4:1 students per teacher
Lincoln High School
Standard public school
1,556 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Mount Tahoma High School
Standard public school
1,410 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
Dr. Dolores Silas High School
Standard public school
1,160 students 24.2:1 students per teacher
Fife High School
Standard public school
885 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Tacoma School of the Arts
Standard public school
658 students 19.4:1 students per teacher
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 (~989 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Washington High School's federal record.
- Compare Washington High School against another school. Compare schools
- Franklin Pierce 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 Washington High School
How many students attend Washington High School?
Washington High School has 989 students enrolled. It is a high school in Tacoma, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Washington High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Washington High School is 16:1, which is 9% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 2% 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 Washington High School?
59.0% of students at Washington High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Washington High School?
The largest demographic group at Washington High School is Hispanic or Latino at 33.3% of enrollment, in Tacoma, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 78.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Washington High School?
Washington High School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Washington High School rank among high schools in Tacoma?
By Resource Investment Index, Washington High School ranks #5 of 16 high schools in Tacoma, 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 Tacoma on the city page.
Is Washington High School a good school?
Washington High School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median. 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 Franklin Pierce School District?
Besides Washington High School, Franklin Pierce School District also operates Franklin Pierce High School (977 students), Morris Ford Middle School (831 students), and Perry G Keithley Middle School (804 students). See the Franklin Pierce 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.