Highline School District

15675 Ambaum Blvd Sw
Burien, WA 98166-0100
(District boundaries shown in map)
2/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Highline 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 10 public middle schools serving 3,907 students in Highline School District. This district's average middle testing ranking is 2/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public middle schools in Washington.
Public Middle Schools in Highline School District have an average math proficiency score of 19% (versus the Washington public middle school average of 37%), and reading proficiency score of 35% (versus the 51% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 84% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the Washington public middle school average of 50% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (WA)
# Schools
43 Schools
796 Schools
# Students
18,072 Students
302,570 Students
# Teachers
995 Teachers
15,929 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
19:1
19:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Highline 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 76% has decreased from 79% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (WA)
#251 out of 307 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
25%
41%
37%
53%
33%
49%
76%
84%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.76
0.68
% American Indian
1%
2%
% Asian
15%
8%
% Hispanic
41%
25%
% Black
14%
5%
% White
17%
50%
% Hawaiian
3%
1%
% Two or more races
9%
9%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $23,093 is higher than the state median of $18,891. The school district revenue/student has grown by 9% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $23,019 is higher 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
$417 MM
$20,715 MM
Spending
$416 MM
$21,212 MM
Revenue / Student
$23,093
$18,891
Spending / Student
$23,019
$19,344

Best Highline School District Public Middle Schools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Choice Academy
Alternative School
(Math: 55-59% | Reading: 70-74%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
18367 8th Ave S
Seattle, WA 98148
(206) 631-7630
Gr: 6-12 | 176 students Student-teacher ratio: 20:1 Minority enrollment: 69%
Rank: #22.
Sylvester Middle School
(Math: 29% | Reading: 46%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
16222 Sylvester Road Sw
Seattle, WA 98166
(206) 631-6000
Gr: 6-8 | 582 students Student-teacher ratio: 19:1 Minority enrollment: 63%
Rank: #33.
Big Picture School
Alternative School
(Math: 15-19% | Reading: 50-54%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
440 S 186th St
Seattle, WA 98148
(206) 631-7700
Gr: 6-12 | 233 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 71%
Rank: #44.
Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy
(Math: 15-19% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
11427 3rd Ave S
Seattle, WA 98166
(206) 631-3000
Gr: PK-12 | 208 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 79%
Rank: #55.
Chinook Middle School
(Math: 16% | Reading: 34%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
18650 42nd Ave S
Seattle, WA 98188
(206) 631-5700
Gr: 6-8 | 620 students Student-teacher ratio: 17:1 Minority enrollment: 89%
Rank: #66.
Pacific Middle School
(Math: 15% | Reading: 33%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
22705 24th Ave S
Seattle, WA 98198
(206) 631-5800
Gr: 6-8 | 604 students Student-teacher ratio: 18:1 Minority enrollment: 86%
Rank: #77.
Cascade Middle School
(Math: 13% | Reading: 28%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
11212 10th Ave Sw
Seattle, WA 98146
(206) 631-5500
Gr: 6-8 | 671 students Student-teacher ratio: 17:1 Minority enrollment: 93%
Rank: #88.
Glacier Middle School
(Math: 16% | Reading: 25%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
2450 South 142nd Street
Seattle, WA 98168
(206) 631-5300
Gr: 6-8 | 803 students Student-teacher ratio: 23:1 Minority enrollment: 94%
Rank: n/an/a
Highline Home School Center
Alternative School
18367 8th Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98148
(206) 631-7630
Gr: K-12 | 10 students Minority enrollment: 10%
Rank: n/an/a
Satellite High School
Special Education School
18367 8th Ave S
Seattle, WA 98148
(206) 631-7630
Gr: PK-12

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 43 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 18,072 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 19:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 83%
  • : 76% (Btm 50% in WA)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 25% (Btm 50%)
  • : 37% (Btm 50%)
  • : 33% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), WA Dept. of Education

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