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Bethel School District

516 176th St E
Spanaway, WA 98387
(District boundaries shown in map)
6/
10
Top 50%

Top Rankings

Bethel School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Washington for:

Category
Attribute
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2026 school year, there are 8 public high schools serving 7,141 students in Bethel School District. This district's average high testing ranking is 3/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public high schools in Washington.
Public High Schools in Bethel School District have an average math proficiency score of 19% (versus the Washington public high school average of 34%), and reading proficiency score of 56% (versus the 65% statewide average).
Public High School in Bethel School District have a Graduation Rate of 78%, which is less than the Washington average of 84%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Graham Kapowsin High School, with 94% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in Washington or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 59% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the Washington public high school average of 50% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (WA)
# Schools
39 Schools
858 Schools
# Students
21,539 Students
392,382 Students
# Teachers
1,128 Teachers
19,032 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
19:1
19:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Bethel School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 306 school districts in Washington (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 78% has decreased from 88% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (WA)
#150 out of 307 school districts
(Top 50%)
36%
41%
49%
53%
41%
49%
78%
84%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.75
0.68
% American Indian
1%
2%
% Asian
4%
8%
% Hispanic
22%
26%
% Black
9%
5%
% White
41%
50%
% Hawaiian
6%
1%
% Two or more races
17%
8%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $16,209 in this school district is less than the state median of $18,799. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $16,805 is less than the state median of $19,250. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (WA)
Total Revenue
$349 MM
$20,715 MM
Spending
$362 MM
$21,212 MM
Revenue / Student
$16,209
$18,799
Spending / Student
$16,805
$19,250

Best Bethel School District Public High Schools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Bethel High School
(Math: 26% | Reading: 62%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
22215 38th Avenue East
Spanaway, WA 98387
(253) 800-7000
Gr: 9-12 | 1,651 student Student-teacher ratio: 20:1 Minority enrollment: 57%
Rank: #22.
Graham Kapowsin High School
(Math: 18% | Reading: 62%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
22100 108th Ave E
Graham, WA 98338
(253) 800-6100
Gr: 9-12 | 2,105 students Student-teacher ratio: 25:1 Minority enrollment: 54%
Rank: #33.
Acceleration Academy
Alternative School
(Math: ≤20% | Reading: 60-79% )
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
16218 Pacific Ave
Spanaway, WA 98387
(253) 267-1045
Gr: 9-12 | 405 students Student-teacher ratio: 51:1 Minority enrollment: 58%
Rank: #44.
Challenger High School
Alternative School
(Math: 10-14% | Reading: 50-59%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
18117 A Street South
Spanaway, WA 98387
(253) 800-6800
Gr: 7-12 | 366 students Student-teacher ratio: 18:1 Minority enrollment: 48%
Rank: #55.
Spanaway Lake High School
(Math: 16% | Reading: 51%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
1305 168th Street East
Spanaway, WA 98387
(253) 800-5600
Gr: 9-12 | 1,804 student Student-teacher ratio: 23:1 Minority enrollment: 72%
Rank: #66.
Bethel Virtual Academy
Alternative School
(Math: 16% | Reading: 47%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
7319 Eustis Hunt Rd
Spanaway, WA 98387
(253) 800-3100
Gr: K-12 | 444 students Student-teacher ratio: 19:1 Minority enrollment: 54%
Rank: n/an/a
Pierce County Skills Center
Vocational School
16117 Canyon Rd E
Puyallup, WA 98375
(253) 800-5950
Gr: 8-12 | 315 students Student-teacher ratio: 26:1 Minority enrollment: 39%
Rank: n/an/a
Transition 18-21 Program
Special Education School
516 176th St E
Spanaway, WA 98387
(253) 800-2300
Gr: 12 | 51 students Minority enrollment: 63%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 39 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 21,539 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 19:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 59%
  • : 78% (Top 50% in WA)
  • : Top 50%
  • : 36% (Top 50%)
  • : 49% (Top 50%)
  • : 41% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), WA Dept. of Education

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