These Pierce County public schools ranked high in new analysis. Which got an ‘A’ grade?
Everyone associates school with homework and class grades. But how often do we think about handing schools a report card?
Niche, a ranking and review site focused on education, gives public elementary schools “grades” based on their data analysis and user review of factors like academics, diversity, sports, teachers and resources.
There are more than 290 school districts in the Evergreen State, according to the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. By its measure, Niche finds that there are more than 230 schools with an overall “A” grade in Washington, many of which are in Pierce County.
Niche collected data from the U.S. Department of Education, the National Center for Education Statistics, and individual schools to evaluate Washington state’s public education offerings. The review website based a school’s overall score on factors like academic proficiency, teacher quality and diversity.
High schools are also graded on additional metrics such as sports, clubs and activities, college prep and administration.
Additionally, Niche analyzed each schools’ average teacher-to-student ratio. The ideal classroom size for elementary schools is 18 students to one teacher, according to Public School Review. This size is large enough to cultivate an engaging and focused academic environment while also being small enough for educators to provide individualized tutoring.
Best schools in Pierce County
Niche ranks the following schools as the five best in Pierce County for elementary, middle and high schools. Each is ranked with at least an “A” rating. U.S. News and World Report ranks Washington as the fourth-best state for education and 11th specifically for K-12 education.
Among the 15 best schools in Pierce County, six are in University Place. Tacoma’s elementary schools don’t crack the top five elementary and middle schools.
Top 5 elementary schools in Pierce County
University Place Primary School – University Place
Carbonado Historical School (K-8) – Carbonado
Chambers Elementary School – University Place
Tehaleh Heights Elementary School – Bonney Lake
Mountain Meadow Elementary School – Buckley
Top 5 middle schools in Pierce County
Narrows View Intermediate School – University Place
Drum Intermediate School – University Place
Carbonado Historical School (K-8) – Carbonado
Curtis Junior High School – University Place
North Tapps Middle School – Lake Tapps
Top 5 high schools in Pierce County
Curtis Senior High School – University Place
Science & Math Institute – Tacoma
Steilacoom High School – Steilacoom
Summit Public School: Olympus – Tacoma
Stadium High School – Tacoma
On average, elementary and middle schools in Pierce County have proficiency scores for math and reading above 70% or 80%. However, high schools in the area are a different story.
Although teens proved to be competent readers, ranging from 74-84%, math scores ranged from as high as 65% and dipped as far down as 45% at Stadium High School and Summit Public School. The only exception was Steilacoom High School, which has scores above 80% for both math and reading.
Teacher salaries in WA
Educators and faculty at Pierce County’s top-ranking schools are well-compensated for their work, especially when compared to national averages. Washington state pays teachers higher salaries comparable to the rest of the U.S., according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
During the 2020-21 school year, the average teacher salary for K-12 schools in the Evergreen State was just under $80,000, according to NCES metrics. The median national salary was around $65,000. Before the 2009-10 school year, data from NCES shows that Washington teachers’ salaries were typically below or on par with the national average.
Many educators in Pierce County earn above the state’s median salary.
For example, full-time homeroom teachers in University Place and Tacoma school districts earn base salaries that range from $60,000 to over $100,000, according to Washington state public records. The principals in Pierce County’s top 15 schools earn anywhere from $140,000, to as high as $190,000.
