Public schools in Tacoma, WA
97 open public schools with an address in Tacoma, operated by 8 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
97
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
42,558
95 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
17.6:1
Washington median 16.7:1
Charter schools
1
3 magnet · 4 virtual
An overview of Tacoma public schools
The federal directory lists 97 public schools in Tacoma, WA: 52 elementary, 16 middle, 24 high, 5 combined or other. The 95 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 42,558 students, an average of 448 per school. The largest campus is Stadium High School (1,700 students), and the largest elementary school is Fife Elementary School (866).
Tacoma School District operates the most schools here (69), and 6 regular districts have at least one Tacoma campus, plus 2 charter, service, or other agencies. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 17.6:1, higher than the statewide school median of 16.7:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
School choice options include 1 charter school, 3 magnet schools, 4 virtual schools. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 20 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 12 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 12 of 21 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 60% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Tacoma
Tacoma School District
Public school district
69 schools in Tacoma
Franklin Pierce School District
Public school district
14 schools in Tacoma
Bethel School District
Public school district
6 schools in Tacoma · 34 total
Fife School District
Public school district
4 schools in Tacoma · 8 total
Bates Technical College
Other local education agency
1 school in Tacoma
Impact | Commencement Bay Elementary
Independent charter agency
1 school in Tacoma
Puyallup School District
Public school district
1 school in Tacoma · 36 total
Quillayute Valley School District
Public school district
1 school in Tacoma · 6 total
Elementary schools in Tacoma
52| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 390 | 17.2:1 | |
| Birney Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 476 | 14.4:1 | |
| Blix Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 442 | 17.1:1 | |
| Boze Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 485 | 17.3:1 | |
| Brookdale Elementary Franklin Pierce School District | KG–05 | 483 | 15.1:1 | |
| Browns Point Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 445 | 20:1 | |
| Bryant Montessori School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 313 | — | |
| Central Avenue Elementary Franklin Pierce School District | KG–05 | 355 | 13.7:1 | |
| Chester H Thompson Elementary Bethel School District | PK–05 | 688 | 16.6:1 | |
| Christensen Elementary Franklin Pierce School District | KG–05 | 346 | 15:1 | |
| Clover Creek Elementary Bethel School District | KG–05 | 617 | 15.9:1 | |
| Collins Elementary Franklin Pierce School District | KG–05 | 466 | 15:1 | |
| Crescent Heights Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 451 | 18.8:1 | |
| Delong Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 349 | 15.9:1 | |
| Downing Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 298 | 18.1:1 | |
| Edison Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 413 | 16.1:1 | |
| Edna Travis Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 337 | 14.7:1 | |
| Elmhurst Elementary School Franklin Pierce School District | KG–05 | 335 | 14:1 | |
| Fawcett Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 426 | 16.1:1 | |
| Fern Hill Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 311 | 18.2:1 | |
| Fife Elementary School Fife School District | KG–05 | 866 | 16.7:1 | |
| Franklin Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 260 | 14.4:1 | |
| Geiger Montessori School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 521 | 21:1 | |
| Grant Elementary School Tacoma School District | KG–05 | 378 | 17.6:1 | |
| Harvard Elementary Franklin Pierce School District | KG–05 | 445 | 15.6:1 | |
| Helen Stafford Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 453 | 19:1 | |
| Impact Public Schools Impact | Commencement Bay Elementary · Charter | KG–05 | 232 | 13.6:1 | |
| James Sales Elementary Franklin Pierce School District | KG–05 | 387 | 16.1:1 | |
| Jefferson Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 358 | 18.5:1 | |
| Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School Bethel School District | PK–05 | 592 | 17.4:1 | |
| Larchmont Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 303 | 14.9:1 | |
| Lister Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 376 | 17.4:1 | |
| Lowell Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 331 | 19:1 | |
| Lyon Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 381 | 17.1:1 | |
| Manitou Park Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 429 | 19.2:1 | |
| Mann Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 340 | 17.9:1 | |
| Midland Elementary Franklin Pierce School District | KG–05 | 399 | 14.8:1 | |
| N.E. Tacoma Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 418 | 17.9:1 | |
| Naches Trail Elementary Bethel School District | PK–05 | 519 | 16.5:1 | |
| Nell Hoyt Day School Tacoma School District · Alternative School | KG–08 | — | — | |
| Point Defiance Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 301 | 16.3:1 | |
| Reed Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 426 | 16.4:1 | |
| Roosevelt Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 270 | 16:1 | |
| Sheridan Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 525 | 17.6:1 | |
| Sherman Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 432 | 20.1:1 | |
| Skyline Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 329 | 15.2:1 | |
| Stanley Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 325 | 15.2:1 | |
| Tacoma Online Elementary School Tacoma School District · Virtual | KG–05 | 144 | 12.9:1 | |
| Waller Road Elementary Puyallup School District | KG–06 | 306 | 13.8:1 | |
| Washington Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 383 | 19.8:1 | |
| Whitman Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–05 | 365 | 16.7:1 | |
| Whittier Elementary School Tacoma School District | PK–03 | 305 | 17.5:1 |
Middle schools in Tacoma
16| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angelo Giaudrone Middle School Tacoma School District | 06–08 | 449 | 19.7:1 | |
| Baker Middle School Tacoma School District | 06–08 | 687 | 20:1 | |
| Bryant Montessori Middle School Tacoma School District · Magnet | 06–08 | 135 | 6:1 | |
| First Creek Middle School Tacoma School District | 06–08 | 584 | 19.6:1 | |
| Gray Middle School Tacoma School District | 06–08 | 510 | 18.3:1 | |
| Hilltop Heritage Middle School Tacoma School District | 06–08 | 447 | 20.1:1 | |
| Hunt Middle School Tacoma School District | 06–08 | 519 | 17.8:1 | |
| Mason Middle School Tacoma School District | 06–08 | 639 | 20.7:1 | |
| Meeker Middle School Tacoma School District | 06–08 | 567 | 20.2:1 | |
| Morris Ford Middle School Franklin Pierce School District | 06–08 | 831 | 18.1:1 | |
| Perry G Keithley Middle School Franklin Pierce School District | 06–08 | 804 | 17.9:1 | |
| Spanaway Middle School Bethel School District | 06–08 | 766 | 22.5:1 | |
| Stewart Middle School Tacoma School District | 06–08 | 650 | 19.7:1 | |
| Tacoma Online Middle School Tacoma School District · Virtual | 06–08 | 170 | 13.8:1 | |
| Truman Middle School Tacoma School District | 06–08 | 438 | 20.8:1 | |
| Wainwright Intermediate School Tacoma School District | 04–08 | 368 | 17.8:1 |
High schools in Tacoma
24| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy for Community Transition Bethel School District · Special Education School | 12–12 | 58 | — | |
| Alternative Spcl Needs Div Occ Tacoma School District · Special Education School | 10–12 | 0 | — | |
| Bates Technical High School Bates Technical College | 09–12 | 343 | — | |
| Comm Based Trans Program Tacoma School District · Special Education School | 12–12 | 71 | 17.8:1 | |
| Dr. Dolores Silas High School Tacoma School District | 09–12 | 1,160 | 23:1 | |
| Fife High School Fife School District | 10–12 | 885 | 22.8:1 | |
| Fife Open Doors Fife School District · Alternative School | 10–12 | 25 | — | |
| Foss High School Tacoma School District | 09–12 | 599 | 19.2:1 | |
| Franklin Pierce High School Franklin Pierce School District | 09–12 | 977 | 17.9:1 | |
| GATES Secondary School Franklin Pierce School District · Alternative School | 10–12 | 104 | 7.6:1 | |
| Industrial Design Engineering and Arts Tacoma School District · Magnet | 09–12 | 392 | 17.6:1 | |
| Insight School of WA Open Doors Program Quillayute Valley School District · Virtual · Alternative School | 09–12 | 8 | — | |
| Lincoln High School Tacoma School District | 09–12 | 1,556 | 20.5:1 | |
| Maritime 253 Skills Center Tacoma School District · Career and Technical School | 11–12 | — | — | |
| Mount Tahoma High School Tacoma School District | 09–12 | 1,410 | 21.4:1 | |
| Oakland Secondary School Tacoma School District · Alternative School | 06–12 | 112 | 22.4:1 | |
| Remann Hall Juvenile Detention Center Tacoma School District | 06–12 | 21 | 21:1 | |
| Science and Math Institute Tacoma School District · Magnet | 09–12 | 597 | 20.5:1 | |
| Stadium High School Tacoma School District | 09–12 | 1,700 | 23.5:1 | |
| Tacoma Online High School Tacoma School District · Virtual | 09–12 | 497 | 15.8:1 | |
| Tacoma Open Doors Tacoma School District · Alternative School | 10–12 | 392 | 75.8:1 | |
| Tacoma Pierce County Education Center Tacoma School District | 09–12 | 0 | — | |
| Tacoma School of the Arts Tacoma School District | 09–12 | 658 | 19.6:1 | |
| Washington High School Franklin Pierce School District | 09–12 | 989 | 17.6:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Tacoma
5| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Junior High School Fife School District | 08–09 | 619 | 20.8:1 | |
| Hewins Early Learning Center Franklin Pierce School District | PK–PK | 266 | 33.3:1 | |
| Hoyt Early Learning Center Tacoma School District | PK–PK | 0 | — | |
| Special Services Tacoma School District · Alternative School | PK–12 | 9 | — | |
| The School at Pearl Youth Residence Tacoma School District · Special Education School | 04–12 | 21 | — |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White32.2%
- Hispanic25.7%
- Black11.8%
- Asian7.8%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.9%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander4.8%
- Multiracial16.4%
Enrollment-weighted across 92 Tacoma schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (42,558 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Tacoma
How many public schools are in Tacoma, WA?
The current NCES directory lists 97 open public schools with a location address in Tacoma: 52 elementary, 16 middle, 24 high, 5 combined or other. Together they reported 42,558 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Tacoma?
Schools with an address in Tacoma belong to 8 education agencies, led by Tacoma School District (69 schools), Franklin Pierce School District (14 schools), Bethel School District (6 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Tacoma?
Stadium High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Tacoma, with 1,700 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Tacoma?
Yes. 1 of the 97 public schools in Tacoma are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Impact Public Schools. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Tacoma schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Tacoma public schools is 17.6:1, higher than the Washington school median of 16.7:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Tacoma guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby Washington cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All Washington cities