Is Spanaway Middle School a good school?

Spanaway Middle School ranks 250 th of 535 Washington middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Spanaway Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 750 students attended Spanaway Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Spanaway Middle School?

Students at Spanaway Middle School are 34% Hispanic, 27% White, 17% Two or more races, 11% African American, 6% Pacific Islander, 4% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Spanaway Middle School attend?

Students who attend Spanaway Middle School usually go on to attend Spanaway Lake High School

Spanaway Middle School

Summary:

Spanaway Middle School is a public middle school located in Tacoma, Washington, serving around 720 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Bethel School District, which is ranked 141 out of 247 school districts in Washington and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Spanaway Middle School has a diverse student population, with a higher percentage of Hispanic (31.94%) and Pacific Islander (6.81%) students compared to nearby schools like Gray Middle School and Liberty Middle School. The school's academic performance has been inconsistent, with its ranking ranging from 250 to 419 out of 529-541 Washington middle schools over the past 8 years and its SchoolDigger rating fluctuating between 1 and 3 stars. While Spanaway Middle School performs particularly well for its African American and Hispanic student subgroups, its Asian and multi-racial student subgroups perform relatively lower compared to other schools in the state.

Spanaway Middle School's test scores in English Language Arts, Math, and Science are generally below the Bethel School District and Washington state averages, with proficiency rates ranging from 15.78% to 56.64% across different grade levels and subjects. The school has a high percentage of students (64.54% to 70%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a relatively low-income student population. However, the school has seen a significant increase in its per-student spending, from $10,828 in 2019-2020 to $18,392 in 2021-2022, which may indicate a concerted effort to improve the school's resources and support for students.

Detail:

Public 6-8

15701 B Street East
Tacoma, WA 98445-1198

(253) 800-5400

District: Bethel School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
250^th of 535 Washington Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,392

Students who attend Spanaway Middle School usually attend:

High:

Spanaway Lake High School

Feeder schools for Spanaway Middle School:

Elementary:	Chester H Thompson Elementary
	Naches Trail Elementary
	Spanaway Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 22.3

Number of students: 750

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

33.9%

White:

27.2%

Two or more races:

17.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 65.9%

See top rated Washington middle schools

Compare Spanaway Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Spanaway Middle School ranks better than 53.3% of middle schools in Washington. It also ranks 2^nd among 6 ranked middle schools in the Bethel School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 49.56. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Spanaway Middle School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (33.9%), White (27.2%), two or more races (17.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 65.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Bethel School District. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Spanaway Middle School is 22.3, which is the highest among 6 middle schools in the Bethel School District! (See more...)

Compare Spanaway Middle School employs 33.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Spanaway Middle School is $18,392, which is the highest among 6 middle schools in the Bethel School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Spanaway Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Spanaway Middle School 250^th of 535 Washington public middle schools. (See Spanaway Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Military Connected students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Pacific Islander students:

White students:

Bethel School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Bethel School District 141^st of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Spanaway Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Spanaway Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	17.09	369^th	421	12.4%
2005	26.81	338^th	425	20.5%
2006	11.41	417^th	449	7.1%
2007	15.89	417^th	463	9.9%
2008	30.09	348^th	466	25.3%
2009	28.55	374^th	476	21.4%
2010	21.42	408^th	483	15.5%
2011	41.53	315^th	492	36.0%
2012	23.08	405^th	497	18.5%
2013	24.91	393^rd	498	21.1%
2015	27.34	331^st	445	25.6%
2016	25.50	339^th	443	23.5%
2017	26.04	333^rd	435	23.4%
2018	23.86	339^th	437	22.4%
2019	19.63	431^st	512	15.8%
2021	22.63	419^th	529	20.8%
2022	46.27	253^rd	541	53.2%
2023	43.36	277^th	539	48.6%
2024	49.56	250^th	535	53.3%

See the entire list of Washington Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Spanaway Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	23.11	133^rd	166	19.9%
2019	11.67	232^nd	246	5.7%
2021	17.99	221^st	250	11.6%
2022	31.39	179^th	257	30.4%
2023	41.63	137^th	244	43.9%
2024	44.48	126^th	243	48.1%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Spanaway Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	39.92	48^th	100	52.0%
2023	37.88	22^nd	57	61.4%
2024	42.69	35^th	78	55.1%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Spanaway Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	43.36	90^th	199	54.8%
2023	43.12	87^th	167	47.9%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Spanaway Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	27.84	270^th	349	22.6%
2019	25.83	359^th	448	19.9%
2021	35.53	304^th	458	33.6%
2022	64.25	115^th	475	75.8%
2023	56.95	170^th	463	63.3%
2024	68.74	105^th	455	76.9%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Spanaway Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	67.72	3^rd	11	72.7%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Spanaway Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	24.70	293^rd	376	22.1%
2019	22.31	371^st	452	17.9%
2021	23.91	366^th	469	22.0%
2022	47.19	230^th	479	52.0%
2023	42.83	253^rd	464	45.5%
2024	47.34	230^th	464	50.4%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Spanaway Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	49.70	25^th	46	45.7%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Spanaway Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	19.86	311^th	371	16.2%
2019	16.63	399^th	453	11.9%
2021	22.96	369^th	476	22.5%
2022	45.03	236^th	480	50.8%
2023	42.01	258^th	470	45.1%
2024	49.97	217^th	466	53.4%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Spanaway Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	16.52	112^th	123	8.9%
2019	5.31	151^st	152	0.7%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Spanaway Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	44.01	30^th	66	54.5%
2019	31.21	79^th	111	28.8%
2021	36.16	69^th	106	34.9%
2022	48.40	44^th	104	57.7%
2023	83.65	11^th	96	88.5%
2024	61.00	29^th	90	67.8%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Spanaway Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	27.87	195^th	259	24.7%
2019	31.06	245^th	344	28.8%
2021	37.65	207^th	353	41.4%
2022	70.46	71^st	360	80.3%
2023	49.86	140^th	336	58.3%
2024	68.95	76^th	344	77.9%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Spanaway Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	45.28	5^th	11	54.5%
2019	39.22	16^th	31	48.4%
2021	73.36	2^nd	19	89.5%
2022	63.56	6^th	20	70.0%
2023	52.87	3^rd	6	50.0%
2024	69.13	4^th	10	60.0%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Pacific Islander Students!

Rank History for White students at Spanaway Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	19.86	272^nd	325	16.3%
2019	27.18	368^th	470	21.7%
2021	22.25	392^nd	480	18.3%
2022	53.99	209^th	488	57.2%
2023	54.64	199^th	488	59.2%
2024	58.35	187^th	486	61.5%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4.5)

50%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Spanaway Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	543	75	87	24	15	n/a	n/a	-1	743
1989	543	76	85	39	12	n/a	n/a	0	755
1990	595	72	78	34	18	n/a	n/a	0	797
1991	564	82	71	35	16	n/a	n/a	0	768
1992	536	81	84	29	12	n/a	n/a	0	742
1993	546	66	84	39	10	n/a	n/a	0	745
1994	501	54	89	23	18	n/a	n/a	0	685
1995	407	103	116	33	17	n/a	n/a	0	676
1996	407	103	116	33	17	n/a	n/a	0	676
1997	446	108	108	37	24	n/a	n/a	0	723
1998	501	121	120	49	31	n/a	n/a	0	822
1999	521	134	124	42	17	n/a	n/a	0	838
2000	554	148	132	42	28	n/a	n/a	0	904
2001	602	157	135	42	28	n/a	n/a	0	964
2002	636	151	122	57	22	n/a	n/a	0	988
2003	636	151	122	57	22	n/a	n/a	0	988
2004	556	148	114	72	36	n/a	n/a	0	926
2005	496	149	111	67	60	n/a	n/a	0	883
2006	464	132	97	75	47	n/a	n/a	0	815
2007	438	128	101	98	34	n/a	n/a	0	799
2008	458	128	121	105	35	n/a	n/a	0	847
2009	444	155	131	113	30	n/a	n/a	0	873
2010	451	167	123	123	31	n/a	n/a	0	895
2011	382	139	105	93	22	27	14	0	782
2012	356	118	83	91	13	29	26	0	716
2013	229	93	50	82	4	26	23	0	507
2014	318	99	55	144	15	48	48	0	727
2015	329	88	58	144	18	36	57	0	730
2016	279	87	46	143	18	43	84	0	700
2017	259	101	39	150	17	32	83	0	681
2018	268	67	38	159	8	38	109	0	687
2019	280	80	35	193	8	49	130	0	775
2020	275	76	28	201	7	51	128	0	766
2021	239	61	25	186	15	45	129	1	701
2022	245	78	25	206	8	41	101	1	705
2023	201	87	26	230	7	49	120	0	720
2024	204	79	30	254	7	48	128	0	750

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Spanaway Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	743	32.0	23.2	0
1989	755	34.0	22.2	n/a
1990	797	33.9	23.5	0
1991	768	36.2	21.2	n/a
1992	742	36.6	20.2	n/a
1993	745	31.2	23.9	n/a
1994	685	31.5	21.7	n/a
1995	676	28.8	23.5	n/a
1996	676	28.8	23.5	n/a
1997	723	33.5	21.6	n/a
1998	822	35.8	23.0	n/a
1999	838	40.8	20.5	n/a
2000	904	40.2	22.5	n/a
2001	964	45.8	21.0	n/a
2002	988	47.0	21.0	34.2
2003	988	47.0	21.0	34.2
2004	926	44.0	21.0	44.4
2005	883	44.2	20.0	40.4
2006	815	40.4	20.2	43.7
2007	799	40.6	19.7	43.9
2008	847	36.7	23.1	45.8
2009	873	36.7	23.8	45
2010	895	41.6	21.5	50.1
2011	782	38.9	20.0	34.7
2012	716	37.6	19.0	60.6
2013	507	26.6	19.0	52.5
2014	727	n/a	n/a	59.1
2015	730	37.0	19.7	63
2016	700	35.0	20.0	62.4
2017	681	34.2	19.9	72
2018	687	33.5	20.4	61.9
2019	775	38.5	20.0	62.5
2020	766	39.3	19.4	67.1
2021	701	36.0	19.4	66.3
2022	705	37.9	18.5	64.5
2023	720	34.7	20.7	70
2024	750	33.6	22.3	65.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Spanaway Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	743	32.0	23.2	0
1989	755	34.0	22.2	n/a
1990	797	33.9	23.5	0
1991	768	36.2	21.2	n/a
1992	742	36.6	20.2	n/a
1993	745	31.2	23.9	n/a
1994	685	31.5	21.7	n/a
1995	676	28.8	23.5	n/a
1996	676	28.8	23.5	n/a
1997	723	33.5	21.6	n/a
1998	822	35.8	23.0	n/a
1999	838	40.8	20.5	n/a
2000	904	40.2	22.5	n/a
2001	964	45.8	21.0	n/a
2002	988	47.0	21.0	34.2
2003	988	47.0	21.0	34.2
2004	926	44.0	21.0	44.4
2005	883	44.2	20.0	40.4
2006	815	40.4	20.2	43.7
2007	799	40.6	19.7	43.9
2008	847	36.7	23.1	45.8
2009	873	36.7	23.8	45
2010	895	41.6	21.5	50.1
2011	782	38.9	20.0	34.7
2012	716	37.6	19.0	60.6
2013	507	26.6	19.0	52.5
2014	727	n/a	n/a	59.1
2015	730	37.0	19.7	63
2016	700	35.0	20.0	62.4
2017	681	34.2	19.9	72
2018	687	33.5	20.4	61.9
2019	775	38.5	20.0	62.5
2020	766	39.3	19.4	67.1
2021	701	36.0	19.4	66.3
2022	705	37.9	18.5	64.5
2023	720	34.7	20.7	70
2024	750	33.6	22.3	65.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

6th Grade Immunization Rates