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Fife School District

At a glance

147^thof 247 Washington districts▼ 1

Better than 40% of Washington districts

Elementary 3 Middle 1 High 2 Alternative 1Grades PK, KG-12

1720 Oak St
Milton, WA 98354·(253) 517-1000·All Washington district rankings →

Statewide performance 2017–2025

2025: better than 40.5% of districts

Schools

3,983

Students

Top rankedHedden Elementary School570^th of 1,160 Washington elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Hedden Elementary School up 24 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Discovery Primary School 15.8 students per teacher

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Summary:

The Fife School District consists of seven schools serving about 4,000 students from preschool through high school in an area with a high percentage of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Among the district's schools, Hedden Elementary School stands out as the top performer, leading in math and science test scores and earning the district's highest school ranking. Fife High School shows notable strength in English proficiency and a solid graduation rate, though its ranking has fluctuated. In contrast, the alternative programs at Fife Open Doors and Columbia Junior High School serve vulnerable populations with much lower graduation rates and academic outcomes.

As a whole, the district's test scores are below state averages, with mathematics being a particular challenge across all grade levels. There is significant variation in per-student spending, with the highest investment at Discovery Primary School and the lowest at Fife Open Doors. Parents should note that performance can vary significantly between schools and from year to year within the same school.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				WCAS Science (2025)				SBAC English Language Arts (2025)								SBAC Math (2025)								% Completely Immunized (2024)	% Polio (2024)	% Measles (2024)	% Mumps (2024)	% Rubella (2024)	% Diphtheria (2024)	% Hepatitis B (2024)	% Varicella (2024)	% Pertussis (2024)	% Tetanus (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	WCAS Science 5th Grade	WCAS Science 8th Grade	WCAS Science 11th Grade	WCAS Science All Grades	SBAC English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 4th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 10th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts All Grades	SBAC Math 3rd Grade	SBAC Math 4th Grade	SBAC Math 5th Grade	SBAC Math 6th Grade	SBAC Math 7th Grade	SBAC Math 8th Grade	SBAC Math 10th Grade	SBAC Math All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Measles KG	% Mumps KG	% Rubella KG	% Diphtheria KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% Pertussis KG	% Tetanus KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Discovery Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	1205 19th Avenue	Milton	98354	Pierce County	Fife School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 517-1200	506	32	15.8	50.0%	213 (42.1%)	29 (5.7%)	127 (25.1%)	47 (9.3%)	2 (0.4%)	18 (3.6%)	70 (13.8%)								(n/a)																					81.3	86.1	83.3	83.3	83.3	86.1	88.2	84.0	86.1	86.1	$21,999	$1,026	$20,973
Fife High School	Public	10-12	5616 20th St E	Tacoma	98424	Pierce County	Fife School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 517-1100	885	39	22.7	49.9%	342 (38.6%)	65 (7.3%)	215 (24.3%)	91 (10.3%)	9 (1.0%)	49 (5.5%)	96 (10.8%)	45.5	231^st of 438 public high schools	47.3%		58.9	158^th of 437 public high schools	63.8%	73			42.5	42.5							64.3	64.3							29.4	29.4											$18,373	$485	$17,888
Surprise Lake Middle School	Public	6-7	2001 Milton Way	Milton	98354	Pierce County	Fife School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 517-1300	613	28	21.9	55.5%	230 (37.5%)	46 (7.5%)	150 (24.5%)	52 (8.5%)	3 (0.5%)	44 (7.2%)	75 (12.2%)	29.2	380^th of 534 public middle schools	28.8%		28.2	383^rd of 535 public middle schools	28.4%	3								38.5	45.4			42.1				26.2	30.3			28.3											$14,717	$189	$14,528
Hedden Elementary School	Public	3-5	11313 8th St E	Edgewood	98372	Pierce County	Fife School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 517-1500	469	28	17.0	52.0%	205 (43.7%)	34 (7.2%)	102 (21.7%)	41 (8.7%)	7 (1.5%)	14 (3.0%)	66 (14.1%)	48.6	570^th of 1160 public elementary schools	50.9%		47.2	594^th of 1168 public elementary schools	49.1%	24	55.6			55.6	54.7	37.3	56.9					49.5	50.0	38.0	47.4					45.0											$17,873	$546	$17,328
Columbia Junior High School	Public, Alternative	8-9	2901 54th Avenue E	Tacoma	98424	Pierce County	Fife School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 517-1600	619	30	20.7	56.7%	227 (36.7%)	63 (10.2%)	140 (22.6%)	49 (7.9%)	3 (0.5%)	42 (6.8%)	87 (14.1%)								(n/a)		36.3		36.3						47.7		47.7						29.6		29.6											$16,097	$363	$15,734
Fife Open Doors	Public	10-12	5802 20th Street East	Tacoma	98424	Pierce County	Fife School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 517-1000	25	0		76.0%	5 (20.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (28.0%)	1 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (20.0%)	7 (28.0%)								(n/a)																															$14,189	$123	$14,066
Fife Elementary School	Public	K-5	5804 20th Street E	Tacoma	98424	Pierce County	Fife School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 517-1400	866	52	16.6	60.3%	249 (28.8%)	88 (10.2%)	207 (23.9%)	90 (10.4%)	4 (0.5%)	105 (12.1%)	123 (14.2%)	36.4	724^th of 1160 public elementary schools	37.6%		36.1	740^th of 1168 public elementary schools	36.6%	16	44.9			44.9	28.7	49.3	47.8					42.2	33.3	50.7	40.8					41.6	85.7	86.6	88.2	88.2	88.2	86.6	90.8	87.4	86.6	86.6	$18,328	$659	$17,668

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Puyallup School District	0.92 mi	37	88^th
Federal Way School District	1.72 mi	46	206^th
Auburn School District	3.27 mi	26	164^th
Chief Leschi School	3.32 mi	1
Tacoma School District	3.79 mi	70	157^th

See the top WA Washington districts

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.