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 6 public preschools serving 2,379 students in Bethel School District. This district's average pre testing ranking is 5/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public pre schools in Washington.
Public Preschools in Bethel School District have an average math proficiency score of 43% (versus the Washington public pre school average of 46%), and reading proficiency score of 47% (versus the 50% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 60% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the Washington public preschool average of 55% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (WA)
# Schools
36 Schools
759 Schools
# Students
21,450 Students
270,385 Students
# Teachers
1,140 Teachers
16,823 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
0.71
% American Indian
1%
1%
% Asian
5%
10%
% Hispanic
23%
27%
% Black
8%
6%
% White
40%
44%
% Hawaiian
6%
2%
% Two or more races
17%
10%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $16,276 in this school district is less than the state median of $18,891. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $16,875 is less than the state median of $19,344. 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
$16,276
$18,891
Spending / Student
$16,875
$19,344

Best Bethel School District Public Preschools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Nelson Elementary School
(Math: 50% | Reading: 51%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
22109 108th Ave E
Graham, WA 98338
(253) 800-6400
Gr: PK-5 | 497 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 42%
Rank: #22.
Chester H Thompson Elementary School
(Math: 40% | Reading: 48%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
303 159th St E
Tacoma, WA 98445
(253) 800-5800
Gr: PK-5 | 688 students Student-teacher ratio: 17:1 Minority enrollment: 79%
Rank: #33.
Naches Trail Elementary School
(Math: 49% | Reading: 41%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
15505 Waller Road East
Tacoma, WA 98446
(253) 800-8700
Gr: PK-5 | 519 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 63%
Rank: #44.
Roy Elementary School
(Math: 25-29% | Reading: 40-44%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
340 Peterson St
Roy, WA 98580
(253) 800-5100
Gr: PK-5 | 285 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 34%
Rank: n/an/a
214 167th St. S
Spanaway, WA 98387
(253) 800-4100
Gr: PK-K | 163 students Student-teacher ratio: 23:1 Minority enrollment: 66%
Rank: n/an/a
Thompson Preschool
15616 5th Ave E
Tacoma, WA 98445
(253) 800-4100
Gr: PK-K | 227 students Student-teacher ratio: 57:1 Minority enrollment: 65%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 36 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 21,450 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 19:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 60%
  • : 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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