Is Tacoma School of the Arts a good school?

Tacoma School of the Arts ranks 219 th of 437 Washington high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Tacoma School of the Arts?

In the 2023-24 school year, 648 students attended Tacoma School of the Arts.

What is the racial makeup of Tacoma School of the Arts?

Students at Tacoma School of the Arts are 44% White, 22% Hispanic, 16% Two or more races, 11% African American, 3% Asian, 2% Not Specified, 2% American Indian.

Tacoma School of the Arts

Summary:

Tacoma School of the Arts is a public high school serving 624 students in grades 9-12 in Tacoma, Washington, which is part of the Tacoma School District.

Tacoma School of the Arts has a diverse student population, with strong academic performance in English Language Arts (ELA) that outpaces the district and state averages, but lags behind in Math proficiency. The school boasts an impressive 97.8% four-year graduation rate, significantly higher than the district and state. However, nearly half of the students come from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, receiving free or reduced-price lunch. Interestingly, the school performs particularly well for its African American and Hispanic student populations, ranking 10th and 99th out of Washington high schools, respectively, in 2023-2024, despite an overall ranking of 219th out of 437 high schools in the state.

Compared to nearby schools, Tacoma School of the Arts stands out as a strong performer. Lincoln High School, another Tacoma School District high school, has lower overall academic performance, while Stadium High School outperforms Tacoma School of the Arts in both ELA and Math proficiency. In contrast, Tacoma Open Doors, a smaller alternative high school in the district, has significantly lower graduation rates and higher dropout rates compared to Tacoma School of the Arts.

Detail:

Public 9-12

302 S. Ninth Street
Tacoma, WA 98402

(253) 571-7900

District: Tacoma School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
219^th of 437 Washington High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,058

Student/teacher ratio: 20.5

Number of students: 648

Racial breakdown:

White:

43.5%

Hispanic:

21.6%

Two or more races:

16.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 55.1%

See top rated Washington high schools

Compare Tacoma School of the Arts to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Tacoma School of the Arts ranks worse than 50.1% of high schools in Washington. It also ranks 4^th among 9 ranked high schools in the Tacoma School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 47.95. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Tacoma School of the Arts who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Tacoma School of the Arts is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (43.5%), Hispanic (21.6%), two or more races (16.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 55.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Tacoma School of the Arts is 20.5. 9 high schools in the Tacoma School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Tacoma School of the Arts employs 31.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Tacoma School of the Arts is $18,058, which is the 6^th highest among 9 high schools in the Tacoma School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Tacoma School of the Arts:

SchoolDigger ranks Tacoma School of the Arts 219^th of 437 Washington public high schools. (See Tacoma School of the Arts in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Tacoma School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Tacoma School District 152^nd of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Tacoma School of the Arts

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Rank History for all students at Tacoma School of the Arts

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	94.65	9^th	390	97.7%
2005	79.65	61^st	394	84.5%
2006	67.59	130^th	395	67.1%
2007	85.06	30^th	399	92.5%
2008	71.75	96^th	396	75.8%
2009	80.02	57^th	402	85.8%
2010	79.91	62^nd	423	85.3%
2011	69.73	68^th	440	84.5%
2012	67.17	103^rd	450	77.1%
2013	68.28	107^th	454	76.4%
2015	56.22	126^th	341	63.0%
2016	86.63	23^rd	306	92.5%
2017	48.56	178^th	301	40.9%
2018	40.58	222^nd	315	29.5%
2019	28.66	318^th	417	23.7%
2021	45.07	232^nd	455	49.0%
2022	30.20	311^th	434	28.3%
2023	44.77	246^th	442	44.3%
2024	47.95	219^th	437	49.9%

See the entire list of Washington High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Tacoma School of the Arts

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2021	25.22	158^th	195	19.0%
2022	17.55	158^th	179	11.7%
2023	38.51	97^th	166	41.6%
2024	63.22	51^st	161	68.3%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Tacoma School of the Arts

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	51.51	60^th	139	56.8%
2021	53.75	70^th	212	67.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Tacoma School of the Arts

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	58.77	96^th	227	57.7%
2019	26.67	273^rd	344	20.6%
2021	52.77	157^th	392	59.9%
2022	31.68	262^nd	370	29.2%
2023	44.44	199^th	362	45.0%
2024	56.37	137^th	356	61.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Tacoma School of the Arts

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	37.07	180^th	243	25.9%
2019	30.17	267^th	358	25.4%
2021	44.85	201^st	390	48.5%
2022	29.77	270^th	368	26.6%
2023	45.52	192^nd	357	46.2%
2024	42.60	201^st	347	42.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Tacoma School of the Arts

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	34.95	188^th	254	26.0%
2019	12.48	326^th	355	8.2%
2021	40.42	229^th	395	42.0%
2022	18.96	303^rd	363	16.5%
2023	29.08	261^st	358	27.1%
2024	53.17	161^st	362	55.5%

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

Rank History for African American students at Tacoma School of the Arts

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	64.88	17^th	54	68.5%
2019	27.28	69^th	86	19.8%
2021	73.59	19^th	111	82.9%
2022	25.95	70^th	89	21.3%
2023	64.66	23^rd	78	70.5%
2024	79.36	10^th	70	85.7%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Tacoma School of the Arts

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	58.54	58^th	156	62.8%
2019	16.14	218^th	241	9.5%
2021	56.36	102^nd	278	63.3%
2022	45.73	131^st	261	49.8%
2023	56.03	92^nd	249	63.1%
2024	56.76	99^th	248	60.1%

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

Rank History for White students at Tacoma School of the Arts

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	33.39	182^nd	222	18.0%
2019	30.14	298^th	382	22.0%
2021	54.73	162^nd	413	60.8%
2022	28.18	305^th	390	21.8%
2023	44.01	218^th	379	42.5%
2024	39.94	239^th	374	36.1%

See the entire list of Best Washington High 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: 3)

100%

Reviews:

by a student
Saturday, March 6, 2021

Things could have changed since I went but it was a lot more clique-y than they said it was. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Tacoma School of the Arts

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2002	209	21	9	10	4	n/a	n/a	0	253
2003	209	21	9	10	4	n/a	n/a	0	253
2004	276	29	15	13	4	n/a	n/a	0	337
2005	273	28	18	19	5	n/a	n/a	0	343
2006	306	44	17	18	5	n/a	n/a	0	390
2007	340	50	18	20	7	n/a	n/a	0	435
2008	334	58	18	17	6	n/a	n/a	0	433
2009	355	49	18	19	10	n/a	n/a	0	451
2010	347	43	22	18	8	n/a	n/a	0	438
2011	353	40	27	16	6	1	11	0	454
2012	364	44	25	22	6	0	22	0	483
2013	368	66	33	34	7	2	1	0	511
2014	346	67	34	55	8	3	2	0	515
2015	327	77	36	68	7	3	3	0	521
2016	349	96	34	75	13	7	5	0	579
2017	356	110	36	90	13	9	15	0	629
2018	337	127	34	81	12	8	19	0	618
2019	320	125	32	80	12	7	32	0	608
2020	307	103	29	88	7	5	65	1	605
2021	301	98	24	108	7	4	73	18	633
2022	279	81	26	117	9	4	87	15	618
2023	281	63	20	124	10	5	104	17	624
2024	282	69	20	140	12	6	105	14	648

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 Tacoma School of the Arts

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	253	0.0	n/a	13.4
2003	253	0.0	n/a	13.4
2004	337	18.0	18.7	7.7
2005	343	10.3	33.3	7.3
2006	390	18.7	20.9	9.5
2007	435	21.0	20.7	7.8
2008	433	22.5	19.2	10.6
2009	451	22.5	20.0	10.4
2010	438	25.6	17.1	12.1
2011	454	25.0	18.0	11.5
2012	483	25.2	19.1	12.6
2013	511	28.1	18.1	24.9
2014	515	n/a	n/a	28.9
2015	521	29.0	17.9	39.2
2016	579	32.0	18.0	39.7
2017	629	32.2	19.5	40.2
2018	618	36.2	17.0	39.2
2019	608	35.7	17.0	39.1
2020	605	35.4	17.0	40.7
2021	633	33.8	18.7	41.2
2022	618	35.0	17.6	33.7
2023	624	34.4	18.1	48.7
2024	648	31.6	20.5	55.1

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 Tacoma School of the Arts

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	253	0.0	n/a	13.4
2003	253	0.0	n/a	13.4
2004	337	18.0	18.7	7.7
2005	343	10.3	33.3	7.3
2006	390	18.7	20.9	9.5
2007	435	21.0	20.7	7.8
2008	433	22.5	19.2	10.6
2009	451	22.5	20.0	10.4
2010	438	25.6	17.1	12.1
2011	454	25.0	18.0	11.5
2012	483	25.2	19.1	12.6
2013	511	28.1	18.1	24.9
2014	515	n/a	n/a	28.9
2015	521	29.0	17.9	39.2
2016	579	32.0	18.0	39.7
2017	629	32.2	19.5	40.2
2018	618	36.2	17.0	39.2
2019	608	35.7	17.0	39.1
2020	605	35.4	17.0	40.7
2021	633	33.8	18.7	41.2
2022	618	35.0	17.6	33.7
2023	624	34.4	18.1	48.7
2024	648	31.6	20.5	55.1

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.

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