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Coming soon: We're expecting this year's test scores from the Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction any day now — new rankings will be posted the moment they're released!

Coming soon: This year's test scores are expected from the Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction any day now — new rankings will follow the moment they're released!

Cascade Public Schools

Public, Magnet, Charter Grades 9-12

Summary

Cascade Public Schools is a high school located in Des Moines, Washington, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 146 students. It is part of the Why Not You Academy District, which is ranked 245 out of 247 districts in Washington and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school has a diverse student population, with 50.68% African American, 26.03% Hispanic, and 9.59% White students.

Cascade Public Schools consistently underperforms compared to the state and nearby schools like Big Picture School and CHOICE Academy on standardized tests, with only 22.86% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 8.11% in Math, significantly lower than the state averages. The school also has a very high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 95.21% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, compared to nearby schools ranging from 50% to 82.79%. Cascade Public Schools has consistently ranked in the bottom 20% of high schools in Washington, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

The racial makeup of Cascade Public Schools is vastly different from the nearby schools, with a much higher percentage of African American and Hispanic students, raising questions about equity and access to educational opportunities. The school has also seen a significant decline in enrollment, from 146 students in the 2022-2023 school year to 146 students in the 2023-2024 school year, which could lead to reduced funding and resources. While the data paints a concerning picture, the presence of successful nearby schools suggests that there may be opportunities for improvement at Cascade Public Schools through the implementation of best practices from higher-performing schools.

126

Students ?

15.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,504

Per pupil spending ?

20.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

22419 Pacific Highway South
Des Moines, WA 98198

(253) 271-8629

District: Why Not You Academy

Racial breakdown:

African American:

69.0%

Hispanic:

15.1%

White:

9.5%

See top rated Washington public schools

Compare Cascade Public Schools to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 18th percentile in 2023 → 4th in 2024

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Washington average (22% vs 53% meeting standards)

!Graduation rate below the Washington average (62% vs 83%)

!Ranking has slipped — down 14 percentile points since 2023

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school22%

District avg22%

Washington avg53%

Not ranked this year

Cascade Public Schools did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2024	9.3	418 of 437	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	20.5	362 of 442	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2024	17.6	61 of 70	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2023	22.5	285 of 357	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2024	15.3	331 of 356	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	32.4	262 of 362	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2024	3.8	358 of 362	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Female (2023)20th percentile~ school

African American (2024)13th percentile+9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)7th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2024)1st percentile-3 vs school

★

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Schools Near Cascade Public Schools

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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 Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				WCAS Science (2025)			SBAC English Language Arts (2025)					SBAC Math (2025)					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 8th Grade	WCAS Science 11th Grade	WCAS Science All Grades	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 6th Grade	SBAC Math 7th Grade	SBAC Math 8th Grade	SBAC Math 10th Grade	SBAC Math All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cascade Public Schools	Public, Magnet, Charter	9-12	22419 Pacific Highway South	Des Moines	98198	King County	Why Not You Academy	Yes	Yes	No	No	(253) 271-8629	126	8	15.7	20.6%	12 (9.5%)	87 (69.0%)	19 (15.1%)	3 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.6%)	3 (2.4%)								(n/a)							22.2	22.2						$24,504	$743	$23,761
Mount Rainier High School	Public	9-12	22450 19th Ave S	Des Moines	98198	King County	Highline School District	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 631-7000	1,846	77	24.0	58.8%	421 (22.8%)	294 (15.9%)	649 (35.2%)	229 (12.4%)	6 (0.3%)	60 (3.3%)	175 (9.5%)	41.2	257^th of 438 public high schools	41.3%		33.5	299^th of 437 public high schools	31.6%	42		40.3	40.3				60.0	60.0				29.9	29.9	$17,640	$1,220	$16,420
Gateway to College	Public	9-12	Highline Community College	Des Moines	98198	King County	Tukwila School District	No	No	No	No	(206) 878-3710	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Maritime High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	615 S 200th St	Des Moines	98198	King County	Highline School District	No	Yes	No	No	(206) 631-6703	126	8	15.3	38.1%	62 (49.2%)	1 (0.8%)	31 (24.6%)	8 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.6%)	14 (11.1%)	52.2	197^th of 438 public high schools	55.0%		58.3	161^st of 437 public high schools	63.2%	36							58.8	58.8				35.3	35.3	$29,525	$1,879	$27,646
Tyee High School	Public	9-12	4424 S 188th St	SeaTac	98188	King County	Highline School District	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 433-2341	644	35	18.5	75.8%	53 (8.2%)	109 (16.9%)	295 (45.8%)	74 (11.5%)	4 (0.6%)	74 (11.5%)	30 (4.7%)	8.6	418^th of 438 public high schools	4.6%		3.6	435^th of 437 public high schools	0.5%	17		14.5	14.5				38.9	38.9				12.0	12.0	$24,801	$1,895	$22,907
Big Picture School	Public	6-12	440 S 186th St	Burien	98148	King County	Highline School District	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 631-7700	233	17	13.9	50.2%	67 (28.8%)	16 (6.9%)	84 (36.1%)	20 (8.6%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (15.9%)	58.1	167^th of 438 public high schools	61.9%		57.4	171^st of 437 public high schools	60.9%	4	37.1	46.4	41.3	23.3	24.0	51.4	75.0	44.1	20.7		14.3	33.3	18.6	$23,490	$1,592	$21,897
CHOICE Academy	Public	6-12	18367 8th Ave S	Seattle	98148	King County	Highline School District	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 631-7630	176	9	20.4	49.4%	55 (31.3%)	41 (23.3%)	34 (19.3%)	26 (14.8%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (9.7%)								(n/a)	39.3		38.2	74.1	85.2	78.6		82.4	51.9	70.4	60.7	50.0	58.8	$18,734	$1,897	$16,837
Regional Justice Center	Public	9-12	401 4th Ave N	Kent	98032	King County	Kent School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 373-7134	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Puget Sound Skills Center	Public	10-12	18010 8th Ave S	Seattle	98148	King County	Highline School District	No	No	No	No	(206) 631-7300	3	25	.1		2 (66.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (33.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)														$23,300	$1,117	$22,183
Puget Sound High School	Public	9-12	18010 8th Ave South	Burien	98148	King County	Highline School District	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 631-7300	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Cascade Public Schools

How many students attend Cascade Public Schools?

In the 2024-25 school year, 126 students attended Cascade Public Schools.

What is the racial makeup of Cascade Public Schools?

Students at Cascade Public Schools are 69% African American, 15% Hispanic, 10% White, 2% Asian, 2% Two or more races, 2% Pacific Islander.

What district is Cascade Public Schools in?

Why Not You Academy

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Latest Washington data All new data »

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 8, 2026

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 6, 2026

2024–25 SBAC & WCAS test scoresSep 10, 2025

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 16, 2025

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.