Best Public Schools in Federal Way, WA

Federal Way, Washington, has 28 schools serving about 14,406 students across elementary, middle, high-school, K–8, and alternative programs within the Federal Way School District. The area offers substantial variation in school performance: the district ranks about 183rd among 238 Washington districts, while individual schools range from nationally competitive results to significant academic challenges. Parents should compare schools carefully rather than rely only on district averages, especially because small programs and schools with suppressed results may not be directly comparable.

Federal Way Public Academy is the clearest academic standout, ranking in the 88th percentile among Washington middle schools and reporting 73.03% ELA, 63.33% math, and 68.75% science proficiency. Nautilus K–8 School is the strongest broad-grade-span option, with proficiency above district and state results in all three subjects and major ranking improvement over three years. Among traditional elementary schools, Twin Lakes Elementary School has the strongest overall profile, while Lakota Middle School leads the conventional middle schools. These schools contrast sharply with lower-performing examples such as Olympic View Elementary School and Mark Twain Elementary School.

Math is the most consistent districtwide weakness, particularly in high school: proficiency is 19.2% at Federal Way High School, 18.08% at Todd Beamer High School, and 16.33% at Decatur High School. However, graduation outcomes are stronger: Decatur leads with a 90.4% graduation rate and 3.5% dropout rate, followed by Federal Way and Todd Beamer. Alternative programs such as Internet Academy and Open Doors Youth Reengagement (1418) serve different student needs, so their graduation and dropout figures should not be compared directly with comprehensive high schools. Suppressed scores represent unknown results, not zero proficiency.