Is Ballou Junior High a good school?

Ballou Junior High ranks 207 th of 535 Washington middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Ballou Junior High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 863 students attended Ballou Junior High.

What is the racial makeup of Ballou Junior High?

Students at Ballou Junior High are 47% White, 20% Hispanic, 14% Two or more races, 7% African American, 6% Asian, 4% Pacific Islander.

What high school do graduates of Ballou Junior High attend?

Students who attend Ballou Junior High usually go on to attend Gov John Rogers High School

Ballou Junior High

Summary:

Ballou Junior High is a diverse public middle school in Puyallup, Washington, serving around 890 students in grades 7-9. The school stands out for its higher percentage of non-White students compared to nearby schools, as well as its strong academic performance in certain areas.

Ballou Junior High's student population is more racially diverse than the surrounding schools, with 47.3% White, 6.85% African American, 21.24% Hispanic, 5.39% Asian, 0.79% Native American, 3.93% Pacific Islander, and 13.6% two or more races. Academically, the school's English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency rates are consistently higher than the Puyallup School District and Washington state averages, particularly in 7th grade. Additionally, African American and Pacific Islander students at Ballou Junior High perform exceptionally well, ranking in the top 10% and 1st out of 20 Washington middle schools in their respective subgroups.

However, Ballou Junior High's overall academic performance, as measured by SBAC and WCAS test scores, is generally on par with or slightly below the district and state averages. The school has also seen a decline in its statewide ranking over the years, from 118th out of 435 Washington middle schools in 2016-2017 to 207th out of 535 in 2023-2024. This suggests that the school's performance may be declining relative to other middle schools in the state. Interestingly, Ballou Junior High's female students consistently outperform their male counterparts in academic achievement, ranking higher in both ELA and Math proficiency. When compared to nearby schools, such as Kalles Junior High and Aylen Junior High, Ballou Junior High's performance is generally on par or slightly below, but it performs significantly better than the middle schools in the Franklin Pierce and Bethel school districts.

Detail:

Public 7-9

9916 136th St E
Puyallup, WA 98373-5667

(253) 841-8725

District: Puyallup School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
207^th of 535 Washington Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,982

Students who attend Ballou Junior High usually attend:

High:

Gov John Rogers High School

Feeder schools for Ballou Junior High:

Elementary:	Dessie F Evans Elementary
	Edward Zeiger Elementary
	Firgrove Elementary
	Woodland Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 22.1

Number of students: 863

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.8%

Hispanic:

20.4%

Two or more races:

14.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 51.2%

See top rated Washington middle schools

Compare Ballou Junior High to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Ballou Junior High ranks better than 61.3% of middle schools in Washington. It also ranks 2^nd among 7 ranked middle schools in the Puyallup School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 56.7. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Ballou Junior High is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (46.8%), Hispanic (20.4%), two or more races (14.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 51.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Ballou Junior High is 22.1, which is the highest among 7 middle schools in the Puyallup School District! (See more...)

Compare Ballou Junior High employs 38.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ballou Junior High is $15,982, which is the 3^rd highest among 7 middle schools in the Puyallup School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Ballou Junior High:

SchoolDigger ranks Ballou Junior High 207^th of 535 Washington public middle schools. (See Ballou Junior High in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Puyallup School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Puyallup School District 88^th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Ballou Junior High

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Rank History for all students at Ballou Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	67.63	128^th	421	69.6%
2005	73.74	99^th	425	76.7%
2006	58.91	167^th	449	62.8%
2007	54.64	198^th	463	57.2%
2008	57.41	182^nd	466	60.9%
2009	61.21	163^rd	476	65.8%
2010	71.97	108^th	483	77.6%
2011	75.03	95^th	492	80.7%
2012	67.94	138^th	497	72.2%
2013	71.50	115^th	498	76.9%
2015	67.56	131^st	445	70.6%
2016	70.59	112^th	443	74.7%
2017	70.72	118^th	435	72.9%
2018	65.87	131^st	437	70.0%
2019	54.22	225^th	512	56.1%
2021	37.04	330^th	529	37.6%
2022	43.21	285^th	541	47.3%
2023	45.83	267^th	539	50.5%
2024	56.70	207^th	535	61.3%

See the entire list of Washington Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Ballou Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	42.64	98^th	166	41.0%
2019	48.11	130^th	246	47.2%
2021	21.51	205^th	250	18.0%
2022	32.67	172^nd	257	33.1%
2023	38.98	147^th	244	39.8%
2024	45.82	123^rd	243	49.4%

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

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Ballou Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	52.68	37^th	135	72.6%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Ballou Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	49.05	100^th	268	62.7%
2019	33.68	147^th	231	36.4%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Ballou Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	67.64	76^th	349	78.2%
2019	55.16	178^th	448	60.3%
2021	39.07	281^st	458	38.6%
2022	49.90	198^th	475	58.3%
2023	55.66	182^nd	463	60.7%
2024	69.92	96^th	455	78.9%

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

Rank History for Female students at Ballou Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	65.67	126^th	376	66.5%
2019	55.58	191^st	452	57.7%
2021	42.11	262^nd	469	44.1%
2022	48.12	223^rd	479	53.4%
2023	52.85	204^th	464	56.0%
2024	58.42	176^th	464	62.1%

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

Rank History for Military Connected students at Ballou Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	53.27	25^th	50	50.0%
2021	55.32	19^th	44	56.8%
2022	25.89	45^th	51	11.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at Ballou Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	61.61	129^th	371	65.2%
2019	51.93	200^th	453	55.8%
2021	31.46	320^th	476	32.8%
2022	35.51	302^nd	480	37.1%
2023	34.41	309^th	470	34.3%
2024	53.78	200^th	466	57.1%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Ballou Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	23.63	102^nd	123	17.1%
2019	34.51	111^th	152	27.0%
2021	38.77	91^st	149	38.9%
2022	51.90	79^th	161	50.9%
2023	32.15	95^th	145	34.5%
2024	35.69	93^rd	148	37.2%

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

Rank History for African American students at Ballou Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	48.08	46^th	111	58.6%
2022	35.66	63^rd	104	39.4%
2023	85.42	9^th	96	90.6%
2024	68.12	24^th	90	73.3%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Ballou Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	68.47	69^th	259	73.4%
2019	48.18	170^th	344	50.6%
2021	42.67	183^rd	353	48.2%
2022	52.93	139^th	360	61.4%
2023	46.44	158^th	336	53.0%
2024	54.35	130^th	344	62.2%

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

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Ballou Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	90.72	1^st	20	95.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Ballou Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	64.09	109^th	325	66.5%
2019	51.90	224^th	470	52.3%
2021	41.57	277^th	480	42.3%
2022	41.19	285^th	488	41.6%
2023	45.25	249^th	488	49.0%
2024	62.65	162^nd	486	66.7%

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: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Thursday, December 14, 2017

This is a kid friendly school with sixth grade to nineth Close Quote

Enrollment information for Ballou Junior High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	638	11	15	22	13	n/a	n/a	0	699
1989	633	14	17	25	14	n/a	n/a	0	703
1990	730	19	15	26	13	n/a	n/a	0	803
1991	743	22	24	12	6	n/a	n/a	0	807
1992	757	18	45	18	10	n/a	n/a	0	848
1993	745	19	52	25	14	n/a	n/a	0	855
1994	539	16	27	16	2	n/a	n/a	0	600
1995	559	18	22	21	10	n/a	n/a	0	630
1996	559	18	22	21	10	n/a	n/a	0	630
1997	528	24	34	21	7	n/a	n/a	0	614
1998	526	23	31	21	10	n/a	n/a	0	611
1999	586	22	25	26	9	n/a	n/a	0	668
2000	588	17	30	26	11	n/a	n/a	0	672
2001	608	20	50	30	13	n/a	n/a	0	721
2002	686	43	60	32	19	n/a	n/a	0	840
2003	686	43	60	32	19	n/a	n/a	0	840
2004	707	47	70	49	17	n/a	n/a	0	890
2005	706	48	67	60	13	n/a	n/a	1	895
2006	703	60	75	67	18	n/a	n/a	12	935
2007	659	64	80	62	20	n/a	n/a	20	905
2008	746	73	82	66	26	n/a	n/a	44	1037
2009	539	34	43	26	9	n/a	n/a	109	760
2010	553	109	43	49	10	n/a	n/a	0	764
2011	522	36	31	63	10	13	47	0	722
2012	507	36	31	80	8	9	74	0	745
2013	501	37	29	86	7	15	77	0	752
2014	462	34	41	89	7	8	83	0	724
2015	444	37	43	97	5	11	99	0	736
2016	498	38	68	124	8	8	99	0	843
2017	487	42	70	137	9	6	96	0	847
2018	476	43	68	150	8	11	113	0	869
2019	498	56	66	159	7	15	130	0	931
2020	439	63	63	143	4	23	116	0	851
2021	437	64	53	184	5	33	121	0	897
2022	403	51	55	193	7	29	126	9	873
2023	421	61	48	189	7	35	121	8	890
2024	404	61	53	176	7	34	124	4	863

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 Ballou Junior High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	699	35.0	19.9	0
1989	703	35.0	20.0	n/a
1990	803	35.2	22.8	0
1991	807	38.1	21.1	n/a
1992	848	40.4	20.9	n/a
1993	855	38.3	22.3	n/a
1994	600	34.9	17.2	n/a
1995	630	30.9	20.4	n/a
1996	630	30.9	20.4	n/a
1997	614	29.2	21.0	n/a
1998	611	28.6	21.4	n/a
1999	668	29.2	22.9	n/a
2000	672	32.4	20.7	n/a
2001	721	33.5	21.5	n/a
2002	840	36.7	22.9	17.1
2003	840	36.7	22.9	17.1
2004	890	42.0	21.2	20.9
2005	895	41.5	21.6	21.4
2006	935	41.8	22.4	18.4
2007	905	43.1	21.0	17.4
2008	1037	37.2	27.9	22.3
2009	760	37.2	20.4	28.4
2010	764	38.5	19.8	28.5
2011	722	34.8	20.7	34.2
2012	745	37.4	19.8	37
2013	752	37.3	20.1	41.4
2014	724	n/a	n/a	40.2
2015	736	36.0	20.4	39.4
2016	843	41.0	20.5	38.2
2017	847	42.0	20.1	34.9
2018	869	41.5	20.9	38.4
2019	931	42.7	21.7	38.3
2020	851	37.3	22.8	38.3
2021	897	39.0	22.9	39
2022	873	42.1	20.7	45.9
2023	890	40.7	21.8	49.4
2024	863	38.9	22.1	51.2

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 Ballou Junior High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	699	35.0	19.9	0
1989	703	35.0	20.0	n/a
1990	803	35.2	22.8	0
1991	807	38.1	21.1	n/a
1992	848	40.4	20.9	n/a
1993	855	38.3	22.3	n/a
1994	600	34.9	17.2	n/a
1995	630	30.9	20.4	n/a
1996	630	30.9	20.4	n/a
1997	614	29.2	21.0	n/a
1998	611	28.6	21.4	n/a
1999	668	29.2	22.9	n/a
2000	672	32.4	20.7	n/a
2001	721	33.5	21.5	n/a
2002	840	36.7	22.9	17.1
2003	840	36.7	22.9	17.1
2004	890	42.0	21.2	20.9
2005	895	41.5	21.6	21.4
2006	935	41.8	22.4	18.4
2007	905	43.1	21.0	17.4
2008	1037	37.2	27.9	22.3
2009	760	37.2	20.4	28.4
2010	764	38.5	19.8	28.5
2011	722	34.8	20.7	34.2
2012	745	37.4	19.8	37
2013	752	37.3	20.1	41.4
2014	724	n/a	n/a	40.2
2015	736	36.0	20.4	39.4
2016	843	41.0	20.5	38.2
2017	847	42.0	20.1	34.9
2018	869	41.5	20.9	38.4
2019	931	42.7	21.7	38.3
2020	851	37.3	22.8	38.3
2021	897	39.0	22.9	39
2022	873	42.1	20.7	45.9
2023	890	40.7	21.8	49.4
2024	863	38.9	22.1	51.2

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