Tacoma School District
Public school district · Pierce County · Washington · NCES district ID 5308700
Tacoma School District spent $19,679 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 93% of the other Washington districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $17,250). Its 64 schools enrolled 28,847 students in 2024-25; 55.9% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $19,619 per student, down 0.3% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 83% (Washington: 83.8%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Washington's largest districts
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. Among the 10 districts shown, Tacoma ranks 2.
Where the money came from
$656,334,000 in revenue: 55.9% state, 31.5% local and 12.6% federal. Total spending including $124,107,000 of capital outlay was $687,235,000, or $24,274 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$366,945,000 56%
- Local$206,713,000 31%
- Federal$82,676,000 13%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 150 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment rose from 2022-23 to 2024-25
28,311 students in 2022-23, 28,272 students in 2023-24, 28,847 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 28,311 | 1622.2 | 17.5 |
| 2023-24 | 28,272 | 1586.4 | 17.8 |
| 2024-25 | 28,847 | 1528.0 | 18.9 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$180,873,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $6,389 per student
Tacoma School District booked $180,873,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 1,634 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $110,691 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 95 in 100 Washington districts with a figure (state median $84,529, 290 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Washington teacher salary at $81,586 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $132,492,000 | 73.3% |
| Special education | $21,286,000 | 11.8% |
| Vocational | $9,590,000 | 5.3% |
| Other programs | $17,505,000 | 9.7% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $5,000 in 2018-19, $5,117 in 2019-20, $5,330 in 2020-21, $5,864 in 2021-22, $6,389 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Tacoma School District scored proficient or above: 47% in reading and 31% in math, against 53.4% in reading and 41% in math across Washington. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Washington, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.
| Subject | This district | Washington | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 47% | 53.4% | 12,832 |
| Math | 31% | 41% | 11,165 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
83% of the 2,068 students in Tacoma School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 83.8% across Washington. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Washington | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 83% | 83.8% |
| Students in the class | 2,068 | 85,003 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
36 elementary schools, 13,489 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheridan Elementary School | 525 | 17.6 | 51.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Geiger Montessori School | 521 | 21.0 | 29.2% | Eligible, no program |
| Boze Elementary School | 485 | 17.3 | 53.4% | Schoolwide program |
| Birney Elementary School | 476 | 14.4 | 58.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Helen Stafford Elementary School | 453 | 19.0 | 58.1% | Schoolwide program |
| Crescent Heights Elementary School | 451 | 18.8 | 35.0% | Not Title I |
| Browns Point Elementary School | 445 | 20.0 | 13.7% | Not Title I |
| Blix Elementary School | 442 | 17.1 | 54.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Sherman Elementary School | 432 | 20.1 | 14.4% | Not Title I |
| Manitou Park Elementary School | 429 | 19.2 | 62.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Fawcett Elementary School | 426 | 16.1 | 45.8% | Schoolwide program |
| Reed Elementary School | 426 | 16.4 | 58.5% | Schoolwide program |
The other 24 elementary schools
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N.E. Tacoma Elementary School | 418 | 17.9 | 36.6% | Eligible, no program |
| Edison Elementary School | 413 | 16.1 | 62.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Arlington Elementary School | 390 | 17.2 | 60.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Washington Elementary School | 383 | 19.8 | 13.8% | Not Title I |
| Lyon Elementary School | 381 | 17.1 | 49.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Grant Elementary School | 378 | 17.6 | 23.3% | Not Title I |
| Lister Elementary School | 376 | 17.4 | 71.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Whitman Elementary School | 365 | 16.7 | 57.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Jefferson Elementary School | 358 | 18.5 | 27.1% | Eligible, no program |
| Delong Elementary School | 349 | 15.9 | 52.7% | Schoolwide program |
| Mann Elementary School | 340 | 17.9 | 46.8% | Schoolwide program |
| McCarver Elementary School | 337 | 14.7 | 71.8% | Schoolwide program |
| Lowell Elementary School | 331 | 19.0 | 20.5% | Not Title I |
| Skyline Elementary School | 329 | 15.2 | 40.4% | Schoolwide program |
| Stanley Elementary School | 325 | 15.2 | 55.1% | Schoolwide program |
| Bryant Montessori School | 313 | not reported | 37.1% | Eligible, no program |
| Fern Hill Elementary School | 311 | 18.2 | 56.6% | Schoolwide program |
| Whittier Elementary School | 305 | 17.5 | 44.6% | Eligible, no program |
| Larchmont Elementary School | 303 | 14.9 | 55.4% | Schoolwide program |
| Point Defiance Elementary School | 301 | 16.3 | 20.3% | Not Title I |
| Downing Elementary School | 298 | 18.1 | 38.9% | Eligible, no program |
| Roosevelt Elementary School | 270 | 16.0 | 62.6% | Schoolwide program |
| Franklin Elementary School | 260 | 14.4 | 50.8% | Schoolwide program |
| Tacoma Online Elementary School | 144 | 12.9 | 59.0% | Not reported |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
13 middle schools, 6,163 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker Middle School | 687 | 20.0 | 57.9% | Schoolwide program |
| Stewart Middle School | 650 | 19.7 | 52.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Mason Middle School | 639 | 20.7 | 19.7% | Not Title I |
| First Creek Middle School | 584 | 19.6 | 65.4% | Schoolwide program |
| Meeker Middle School | 567 | 20.2 | 30.2% | Not Title I |
| Hunt Middle School | 519 | 17.8 | 37.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Gray Middle School | 510 | 18.3 | 61.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Angelo Giaudrone Middle School | 449 | 19.7 | 55.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Hilltop Heritage Middle School | 447 | 20.1 | 54.6% | Schoolwide program |
| Truman Middle School | 438 | 20.8 | 36.8% | Eligible, no program |
| Wainwright Intermediate School | 368 | 17.8 | 45.4% | Eligible, no program |
| Tacoma Online Middle School | 170 | 13.8 | 53.5% | Not reported |
One more middle school
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryant Montessori Middle School | 135 | 6.0 | 36.3% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
14 high schools, 9,186 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stadium High School | 1,700 | 23.5 | 28.5% | Not Title I |
| Lincoln High School | 1,556 | 20.5 | 54.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Mount Tahoma High School | 1,410 | 21.4 | 52.7% | Eligible, no program |
| Dr. Dolores Silas High School | 1,160 | 23.0 | 30.4% | Eligible, no program |
| Tacoma School of the Arts | 658 | 19.6 | 33.1% | Eligible, no program |
| Foss High School | 599 | 19.2 | 58.6% | Eligible, no program |
| Science and Math Institute | 597 | 20.5 | 24.6% | Eligible, no program |
| Tacoma Online High School | 497 | 15.8 | 55.7% | Not reported |
| Tacoma Open Doors | 392 | 75.8 | 55.9% | Eligible, no program |
| Industrial Design Engineering and Arts | 392 | 17.6 | 32.4% | Eligible, no program |
| Oakland High School | 112 | 22.4 | 73.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Comm Based Trans Program | 71 | 17.8 | 36.6% | Not Title I |
The other 2 high schools
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remann Hall Juvenile Detention Center | 21 | 21.0 | 19.0% | Not Title I |
| The School at Pearl Youth Residence | 21 | not reported | 23.8% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 other school, 9 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special Services | 9 | not reported | 22.2% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
2 more schools on file: small, closed or in an earlier directory
These records carry fewer federal fields than a full school page needs, so each is summarized here with what NCES reports.
Willard Early Learning Center
School in Tacoma; last listed in the 2024-25 NCES directory (closed); 34 students.
Madison Headstart
School in Tacoma; last listed in the 2024-25 NCES directory (closed); 24 students.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 and earlier directories: the last year each school was listed, its students and its teachers.
Contact Tacoma School District
- Phone: (253) 571-1000
- Office: 601 S 8th, Tacoma, WA 98401
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Tacoma School District
- Washington districts by spending per studentTacoma School District ranks 11 of 150 Washington districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($19,679).#11 of 150
- Every school district in WashingtonTacoma School District is the number 4 by size of 323 Washington districts, with 28,311 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#4 of 323
- Spokane School DistrictThe next larger Washington district: 28,714 students in fall 2022, $18,334 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$18,334
- Kent School DistrictThe next smaller Washington district: 25,586 students in fall 2022, $19,199 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$19,199
- Compare Tacoma School District with Spokane School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Stadium High School, its largest high school1,700 students in 2024-25, 23.5 per teacher.1,700
- Teacher salary spending across WashingtonTacoma School District spent $110,691 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $84,529); spending, not a salary.$110,691
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Tacoma School District
How many schools and students are in Tacoma School District?
64 schools were open in 2024-25 (36 elementary, 13 middle, 14 high, 1 other), enrolling 28,847 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Tacoma School District spend per student?
$19,679 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Washington median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $17,250 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $19,619 per student, down 0.3% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Tacoma School District's money come from?
$656,334,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 55.9% state, 31.5% local and 12.6% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Tacoma School District live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 4,873 of the 33,474 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 14.6%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Tacoma School District spend on teacher salaries?
$180,873,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $6,389 per student. Divided by the 1,634 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $110,691 per teacher, more than 95 in 100 Washington districts (state median $84,529). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Washington teacher salary at $81,586 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Tacoma School District do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Tacoma School District scored proficient or above: 47% in reading and 31% in math, against 53.4% in reading and 41% in math across Washington. Washington's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Tacoma School District?
83% of the 2,068 students in Tacoma School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 83.8% across Washington. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Tacoma School District's NCES district ID?
5308700. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25