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Shuksan Middle School

Q: Is Shuksan Middle School a good school?

Shuksan Middle School ranks 281 st of 514 Washington middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

281^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 514 Washington Middle Schools

Better than 45% of Washington middle schools

Summary

Shuksan Middle School is a public school in Bellingham, Washington, serving 606 students in grades 6–8 as part of the Bellingham School District. The district ranks 83rd out of 238 Washington districts, while Shuksan ranks 281st out of 514 Washington middle schools, placing it around the 45th percentile. The school serves a higher-need population than nearby Bellingham middle schools: 52.15% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch, compared with 28.70% at Kulshan Middle School, 40.82% at Fairhaven Middle School, and 42.39% at Whatcom Middle School.

Shuksan has made meaningful progress, rising from the 28th percentile statewide in 2022–2023 to the 45th percentile in 2025–2026. Its strongest current tested subject is English language arts, with 48.31% of students proficient; seventh-grade ELA is a particular bright spot at 57.22%, above the statewide seventh-grade rate. Math is the clearest concern: just 30.52% of students were proficient overall, including 26.97% in sixth grade and 25.00% in eighth grade. Science proficiency was 43.22%, also below district and state results. Compared with the average of Kulshan, Fairhaven, and Whatcom, Shuksan was about 11.6 percentage points lower in ELA, 25.4 points lower in math, and 21.7 points lower in science.

The school’s results are notable because Shuksan reports the lowest student-to-teacher ratio and highest spending per student among those four Bellingham middle schools: 16.7 students per teacher and $19,715 per student. This suggests that student needs, attendance, mobility, instructional practices, or how support services are used may be important areas for further local investigation; the available data does not identify a single cause. Parents may want to ask about sixth- and eighth-grade math support, science intervention, progress monitoring, and services for students from low-income households. Overall, Shuksan is improving, but its main priorities are strengthening math and science and narrowing the performance gap with its nearby district peers.

606

Students ?

16.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,715

Per pupil spending ?

52.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2717 Alderwood Ave
Bellingham, WA 98225-1222

(360) 676-6454

District: Bellingham School District

Students who attend Shuksan Middle School usually attend:

High:

Squalicum High School

Feeder schools for Shuksan Middle School:

Elementary:	Alderwood Elementary School
	Birchwood Elementary School
	Columbia Elementary School
	Northern Heights Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

52.5%

Hispanic:

30.7%

Two or more races:

9.4%

See top rated Washington middle schools

Compare Shuksan Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 28th percentile in 2016 → 45th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 17 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Washington average (40% vs 48% meeting standards)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Math scores 13 pts below the Washington average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg52%

Washington avg48%

281^st of 514

Washington public middle schools ?

Bottom 45%▲ up 17 pts since 2016

From bottom 28% (2016) to bottom 45% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Washington Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4Middle Schools in the Bellingham School District

83^rd of 238Bellingham School District among Washington districts

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
2026	42.6	281 of 514	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.0	320 of 534	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.2	358 of 535	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.3	390 of 539	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.6	372 of 541	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.7	361 of 529	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.9	392 of 512	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.7	280 of 437	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	31.4	307 of 435	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	29.6	317 of 443	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	39.3	262 of 445	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	39.6	321 of 498	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	32.5	364 of 497	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	42.6	308 of 492	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	32.3	350 of 483	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	29.2	369 of 476	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	34.4	314 of 466	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2007	42.0	287 of 463	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2006	40.5	284 of 449	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2005	45.7	250 of 425	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2004	49.9	222 of 421	47.3%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2022	11.7	149 of 161	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	15.6	134 of 149	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	17.9	135 of 152	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.3	100 of 123	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	28.5	100 of 143	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.8	110 of 135	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	40.0	262 of 443	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.8	307 of 471	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.2	349 of 464	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.9	331 of 464	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	35.4	307 of 479	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	33.6	310 of 469	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.6	351 of 452	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.8	252 of 376	33.0%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	16.0	312 of 347	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	13.7	317 of 347	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.8	328 of 344	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.2	312 of 336	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	20.7	306 of 360	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.2	293 of 353	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	17.0	307 of 344	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.3	231 of 259	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2019	56.1	18 of 59	69.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	17.1	404 of 453	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.5	373 of 457	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.7	349 of 455	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.9	386 of 463	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.8	399 of 475	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.5	403 of 458	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.1	392 of 448	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.7	239 of 349	31.5%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	41.6	255 of 454	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.8	282 of 472	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.6	285 of 466	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.0	359 of 470	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.7	344 of 480	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.7	319 of 476	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	24.0	356 of 453	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.5	246 of 371	33.7%	★★☆☆☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2019	53.8	17 of 39	56.4%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	30.6	165 of 222	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	43.8	136 of 246	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.5	156 of 243	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.7	175 of 244	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	41.4	142 of 257	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.8	174 of 250	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.0	183 of 246	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	39.9	119 of 226	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	27.0	136 of 186	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.3	157 of 179	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.4	167 of 210	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.9	177 of 231	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.1	197 of 268	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	66.4	141 of 453	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.4	228 of 488	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.9	222 of 486	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.6	277 of 488	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.5	257 of 488	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.4	234 of 480	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	28.2	359 of 470	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Homeless (2019)69th percentile+46 vs school

White (2026)69th percentile+24 vs school

Migrant (2019)56th percentile+33 vs school

Special Education (2026)47th percentile~ school

Male (2026)44th percentile~ school

Female (2026)41st percentile-4 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)30th percentile-15 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)26th percentile-20 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)11th percentile-35 vs school

Hispanic (2026)10th percentile-35 vs school

Asian (2022)7th percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts48%-4 vs state

Science43%-8 vs state

Math31%-13 vs state

4.5

2 ratings · 1 written review

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1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent on FaceBook
Saturday, April 3, 2010

This school has gotten a bad rap which it does not deserve. My daughter has found some great teachers and some great friends at this school. Her grades are not great, but I don't attribute this to the school. There are plenty of extra-curricular activities, and plenty of parents who care about the well-being of their children. I believe that public school is what you make it. All teachers in public school everywhere are being stretched to their limits right now. Close Quote

Schools Near Shuksan Middle 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 Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				WCAS Science (2026)		SBAC English Language Arts (2026)				SBAC Math (2026)				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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	WCAS Science 8th 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 All Grades	SBAC Math 6th Grade	SBAC Math 7th Grade	SBAC Math 8th Grade	SBAC Math All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Shuksan Middle School	Public	6-8	2717 Alderwood Ave	Bellingham	98225	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 676-6454	606	36	16.7	52.1%	318 (52.5%)	12 (2.0%)	186 (30.7%)	25 (4.1%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	57 (9.4%)	42.6	281^st of 514 public middle schools	45.3%		38	320^th of 534 public middle schools	40.1%	39	43.2	43.2	42.1	57.2	45.5	48.3	27.0	39.6	25.0	30.5	$19,715	$1,712	$18,003
Whatcom Middle School	Public	6-8	810 Halleck St	Bellingham	98225	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 676-6460	637	34	18.5	42.4%	375 (58.9%)	6 (0.9%)	133 (20.9%)	48 (7.5%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (9.6%)	76.5	109^th of 514 public middle schools	78.8%		72.7	119^th of 534 public middle schools	77.7%	10	62.0	62.0	48.0	59.7	58.4	56.0	54.9	54.2	57.0	55.4	$17,842	$320	$17,522
Kulshan Middle School	Public	6-8	1250 Kenoyer Dr	Bellingham	98229	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 676-4886	575	33	17.6	28.7%	422 (73.4%)	4 (0.7%)	73 (12.7%)	13 (2.3%)	4 (0.7%)	3 (0.5%)	54 (9.4%)	83.8	77^th of 514 public middle schools	85.0%		81.5	90^th of 534 public middle schools	83.1%	13	64.0	64.0	65.8	67.7	54.7	63.0	64.5	61.6	50.0	59.0	$18,256	$607	$17,649
Fairhaven Middle School	Public	6-8	110 Park Ridge Rd	Bellingham	98225	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 676-6450	588	32	18.1	40.8%	393 (66.8%)	8 (1.4%)	91 (15.5%)	33 (5.6%)	5 (0.9%)	2 (0.3%)	55 (9.4%)	80.8	91^st of 514 public middle schools	82.3%		80.2	93^rd of 534 public middle schools	82.6%	2	68.7	68.7	56.7	64.7	60.6	60.6	46.5	60.6	53.1	53.3	$17,779	$314	$17,465
Meridian Middle School	Public	6-8	861 Ten Mile Road	Lynden	98264	Whatcom County	Meridian School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 398-2291	350	22	16.2	53.1%	208 (59.4%)	2 (0.6%)	88 (25.1%)	25 (7.1%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (6.6%)	54.2	212^th of 514 public middle schools	58.8%		58.8	199^th of 534 public middle schools	62.7%	13	44.4	44.4	52.5	53.7	51.4	52.5	32.8	47.7	33.6	37.8	$18,417	$364	$18,052
Vista Middle School	Public	6-8	6051 Vista Drive	Ferndale	98248	Whatcom County	Ferndale School District	No	No	No	Yes	(360) 383-9370	550	32	17.1	55.6%	277 (50.4%)	12 (2.2%)	136 (24.7%)	32 (5.8%)	34 (6.2%)	8 (1.5%)	51 (9.3%)	45.8	261^st of 514 public middle schools	49.2%		45.4	274^th of 534 public middle schools	48.7%	13	46.8	46.8	40.2	52.6	43.7	45.3	27.9	40.0	39.3	35.3	$19,184	$1,383	$17,801
Horizon Middle School	Public	6-8	2671 Thornton Road	Ferndale	98248	Whatcom County	Ferndale School District	No	No	No	Yes	(360) 383-9850	433	25	17.1	55.4%	233 (53.8%)	6 (1.4%)	101 (23.3%)	13 (3.0%)	43 (9.9%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (8.5%)	27.2	372^nd of 514 public middle schools	27.6%		38	318^th of 534 public middle schools	40.4%	54	24.2	24.2	30.9	45.6	36.2	38.0	32.4	38.0	16.4	29.7	$20,342	$1,599	$18,743
Nooksack Valley Middle School	Public	6-8	404 W. Columbia St.	Everson	98247	Whatcom County	Nooksack Valley School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 966-7561	469	25	18.7	58.4%	248 (52.9%)	1 (0.2%)	175 (37.3%)	4 (0.9%)	18 (3.8%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (4.7%)	52.2	221^st of 514 public middle schools	57.0%		44.2	280^th of 534 public middle schools	47.6%	59	39.7	39.7	51.9	52.8	37.0	47.2	41.4	45.1	41.7	42.6	$16,808	$696	$16,112
Lynden Middle School	Public	6-8	8750 Line Rd	Lynden	98264	Whatcom County	Lynden School District	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 354-2952	705	37	18.9	47.5%	419 (59.4%)	6 (0.9%)	210 (29.8%)	41 (5.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (3.8%)	51.8	223^rd of 514 public middle schools	56.6%		45	276^th of 534 public middle schools	48.3%	53	43.6	43.6	55.6	53.9	44.0	50.8	42.4	35.0	33.9	37.0	$15,117	$657	$14,461
Mount Baker Junior High	Public	7-8	4936 Deming Rd	Deming	98244	Whatcom County	Mount Baker School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 383-2015	244	14	17.6	60.2%	166 (68.0%)	5 (2.0%)	41 (16.8%)	3 (1.2%)	7 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (9.0%)	23.7	396^th of 514 public middle schools	23.0%		16.1	463^rd of 534 public middle schools	13.3%	67	29.3	29.3		35.0	43.0	38.6		22.7	26.2	24.3	$19,924	$865	$19,059

Frequently Asked Questions about Shuksan Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Shuksan Middle School?

Students at Shuksan Middle School are 52% White, 31% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 2% African American.

What high school do graduates of Shuksan Middle School attend?

Students who attend Shuksan Middle School usually go on to attend Squalicum High School

How many students attend Shuksan Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 606 students attended Shuksan Middle School.

Is Shuksan Middle School a good school?

Shuksan Middle School ranks 281^st of 514 Washington middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Shuksan Middle School in?

Bellingham School District

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Latest Washington data All new data »

2025–26 SBAC & WCAS test scoresSep 10, 2026

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

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.