Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Naches Trail Elementary

Q: Is Naches Trail Elementary a good school?

Naches Trail Elementary ranks 787 th of 1138 Washington elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

787^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,138 Washington Elementary Schools

Better than 31% of Washington elementary schools

Summary

Naches Trail Elementary in Tacoma serves 519 students in prekindergarten through fifth grade within the Bethel School District, an area surrounded mainly by other Bethel schools and several Franklin Pierce School District schools. The school has a 16.4-to-1 student-teacher ratio, and 57.42% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–25. Its current state ranking is 787th of 1,138 elementary schools, placing it in the 31st percentile and earning a two-star rating.

Academic results are mixed. In 2025–26, 37.56% of students were proficient in English language arts, 37.56% in math, and 41.07% in science. Math was nearly identical to the district average, but ELA was about 12 percentage points lower, making it the clearest schoolwide academic weakness. Fifth-grade math is the most urgent concern: only 16.07% of fifth graders were proficient, compared with 52.69% at Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School, 53.85% at Clover Creek Elementary, and 51.04% at Camas Prairie Elementary. Those nearby schools also substantially outperform Naches Trail overall in ELA, math, and science.

The school’s recent trajectory is concerning: since 2023–24, proficiency has declined in ELA, math, and science, and its ranking fell from the 52nd percentile in 2022–23 to the 31st percentile in 2025–26. Performance varies considerably within the school. Third- and fourth-grade math are comparatively stronger, while Hispanic students had an 85th-percentile subgroup ranking, a notable strength. Male, White, and multi-racial student subgroups had lower results, and historical special education results warrant follow-up because current data were unavailable. Reported spending was $22,960 per student, higher than at nearby comparison schools, so reviewing how resources, interventions, and staffing are used—especially in fifth-grade math and ELA—could help identify ways to regain earlier momentum.

519

Students ?

16.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$22,960

Per pupil spending ?

57.4%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

15505 Waller Road East
Tacoma, WA 98446-1533

(253) 800-8700

District: Bethel School District

Students who attend Naches Trail Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Spanaway Middle School
High:	Spanaway Lake High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

37.2%

Hispanic:

22.5%

Two or more races:

20.0%

See top rated Washington elementary schools

Compare Naches Trail Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 68th percentile in 2016 → 31st in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Washington average (38% vs 48% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 37 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school38%

District avg44%

Washington avg48%

787^th of 1,138

Washington public elementary schools ?

Bottom 31%▼ down 38 pts since 2016

From top 32% (2016) to bottom 31% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Washington Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

17^th of 19Elementary Schools in the Bethel School District

116^th of 238Bethel 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	30.4	787 of 1138	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.6	772 of 1160	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.8	648 of 1168	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.7	566 of 1169	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	33.6	772 of 1169	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	16.5	947 of 1107	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	79.4	211 of 1130	81.3%	★★★★☆
2018	62.8	389 of 1054	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	67.5	341 of 1056	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	67.5	333 of 1053	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	49.4	541 of 1067	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	53.7	548 of 1106	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	52.4	560 of 1097	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	66.0	356 of 1092	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	45.3	621 of 1088	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	29.4	817 of 1072	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	48.0	592 of 1067	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2007	38.8	704 of 1069	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2006	46.6	592 of 1051	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2005	48.5	545 of 1031	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2004	59.4	392 of 1026	61.8%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2019	71.2	22 of 110	80.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	37.7	662 of 1020	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	42.9	604 of 1092	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.1	536 of 1093	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.8	465 of 1094	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	31.8	765 of 1100	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	14.8	914 of 1008	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	78.2	213 of 1068	80.1%	★★★★☆
2018	54.6	460 of 1004	54.2%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	74.1	95 of 649	85.4%	★★★★☆
2025	73.2	126 of 659	80.9%	★★★★☆
2024	72.9	134 of 651	79.4%	★★★★☆
2023	58.1	242 of 633	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.3	309 of 694	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	32.0	342 of 501	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	92.4	26 of 697	96.3%	★★★★★
2018	69.7	122 of 540	77.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	47.0	546 of 1008	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	50.9	477 of 1013	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.5	443 of 1024	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.4	254 of 1013	74.9%	★★★★☆
2022	46.6	522 of 1019	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	26.0	680 of 854	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	82.0	76 of 979	92.2%	★★★★★
2018	59.8	307 of 835	63.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	25.9	832 of 1059	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.4	790 of 1098	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	37.4	686 of 1099	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.3	598 of 1099	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.0	717 of 1113	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	17.4	880 of 1025	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	80.5	190 of 1075	82.3%	★★★★☆
2018	68.8	306 of 999	69.4%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	35.4	84 of 119	29.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.2	140 of 197	28.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	26.4	155 of 188	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.6	131 of 194	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	17.6	219 of 252	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	75.4	54 of 303	82.2%	★★★★☆
2018	31.1	161 of 212	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2023	14.2	292 of 308	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	29.6	357 of 478	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.8	496 of 566	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.0	417 of 637	34.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	31.6	686 of 901	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.7	786 of 1007	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.4	556 of 1009	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.6	596 of 1011	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.8	722 of 1031	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	12.3	878 of 943	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	80.2	172 of 1027	83.3%	★★★★☆
2018	67.8	272 of 833	67.3%	★★★☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2026)85th percentile+55 vs school

African American (2019)80th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)46th percentile+15 vs school

Female (2026)35th percentile+4 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)29th percentile~ school

White (2026)24th percentile-7 vs school

Male (2026)21st percentile-9 vs school

Special Education (2023)5th percentile-46 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2025-2026) ?

Science41%-10 vs state

English Language Arts38%-15 vs state

Math38%-6 vs state

3.7

3 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate Naches Trail Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, January 10, 2017

I love Naches trail. My son is a 2nd grader there and has gone there since kindergarten. The teachers and staff have been great, he loves all of them. The teachers really care, and you can see it in the students. My son is doing so well, and I really believe a big part of it has been his amazing teachers. I love how involved so many parents are at this school, at plays and parent nights, other events there are always so many people that show up you have to park all up and down the street. I feel very comfortable with my son being there, their security measures are great. The only thing I would like to see change is pick up and drop off. It is SO hard to get in and out of that parking lot, and there are not nearly enough parking spaces. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, March 17, 2010

One star is a complement for this school a half star is more appropriate. Some of the teachers are dedicated. The teacher my son had was horrible. No classroom control and kids with severe behavioral problems were left to crawl around on the floor under the desks disturbing everyone else. The principal was no help and just protects the teacher at all costs. I would not recommend any child going to this school. We pulled our son out after three months. How can anyone learn in this environment? Close Quote

Schools Near Naches Trail Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				WCAS Science (2026)		SBAC English Language Arts (2026)				SBAC Math (2026)				% 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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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 5th 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 All Grades	SBAC Math 3rd Grade	SBAC Math 4th Grade	SBAC Math 5th 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
Naches Trail Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	15505 Waller Road East	Tacoma	98446	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 800-8700	519	32	16.4	57.4%	193 (37.2%)	50 (9.6%)	117 (22.5%)	28 (5.4%)	5 (1.0%)	22 (4.2%)	104 (20.0%)	30.4	787^th of 1138 public elementary schools	30.8%		33.6	772^nd of 1160 public elementary schools	33.4%	15	41.1	41.1	35.9	41.6	33.9	37.6	46.9	45.5	16.1	37.6	91.1	92.9	96.4	96.4	96.4	94.6	94.6	94.6	94.6	94.6	$22,960	$1,689	$21,271
Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	16720 Waller Rd E	Tacoma	98446	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 800-3000	592	34	17.4	54.9%	157 (26.5%)	87 (14.7%)	112 (18.9%)	57 (9.6%)	9 (1.5%)	47 (7.9%)	123 (20.8%)	73.7	276^th of 1138 public elementary schools	75.7%		63.4	393^rd of 1160 public elementary schools	66.1%	117	67.7	67.7	53.3	62.3	63.4	59.6	58.9	60.7	52.7	57.8	89.9	92.1	92.1	92.1	92.1	91.0	96.6	92.1	91.0	91.0	$16,576	$1,246	$15,330
Clover Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	16715 36th Avenue East	Tacoma	98446	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 800-7800	617	39	15.9	51.5%	201 (32.6%)	63 (10.2%)	133 (21.6%)	44 (7.1%)	3 (0.5%)	53 (8.6%)	120 (19.4%)	70.8	306^th of 1138 public elementary schools	73.1%		64.7	381^st of 1160 public elementary schools	67.2%	75	65.4	65.4	48.1	66.7	65.4	59.8	52.4	59.8	53.9	55.2	94.8	94.8	97.9	97.9	97.9	94.8	99.0	96.9	94.8	94.8	$17,145	$1,176	$15,968
Evergreen Elementary	Public	K-5	1311 172nd Street East	Spanaway	98387	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 800-8200	530	36	14.6	66.4%	187 (35.3%)	42 (7.9%)	118 (22.3%)	28 (5.3%)	5 (0.9%)	33 (6.2%)	117 (22.1%)	36.3	733^rd of 1138 public elementary schools	35.6%		30.8	815^th of 1160 public elementary schools	29.7%	82	39.3	39.3	49.4	38.8	41.7	43.3	50.6	45.7	25.0	40.3	86.8	89.0	89.0	89.0	89.0	86.8	92.3	89.0	86.8	86.8	$18,239	$1,631	$16,608
Collins Elementary	Public	K-5	1920 128th Street E	Tacoma	98444	Pierce County	Franklin Pierce School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 298-3405	466	31	15.0	55.4%	178 (38.2%)	41 (8.8%)	115 (24.7%)	40 (8.6%)	3 (0.6%)	23 (4.9%)	66 (14.2%)	46	598^th of 1138 public elementary schools	47.5%		36	729^th of 1160 public elementary schools	37.2%	131	61.8	61.8	34.7	42.7	60.5	45.0	37.8	50.0	42.1	42.6	93.1	93.1	94.3	94.3	94.3	93.1	94.3	93.1	93.1	93.1	$17,541	$1,011	$16,531
Chester H Thompson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	303 159th St E	Tacoma	98445	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 800-5800	688	41	16.6	67.2%	141 (20.5%)	45 (6.5%)	339 (49.3%)	17 (2.5%)	3 (0.4%)	46 (6.7%)	97 (14.1%)	29.3	802^nd of 1138 public elementary schools	29.5%		27.8	856^th of 1160 public elementary schools	26.2%	54	35.6	35.6	38.2	44.6	35.0	39.0	42.2	43.4	29.0	37.9	85.3	86.2	86.2	86.2	86.2	87.1	94.8	86.2	87.1	87.1	$20,098	$1,707	$18,391
Elmhurst Elementary School	Public	K-5	420 133rd ST E	Tacoma	98445	Pierce County	Franklin Pierce School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 298-3505	335	24	14.0	68.7%	105 (31.3%)	56 (16.7%)	71 (21.2%)	14 (4.2%)	3 (0.9%)	20 (6.0%)	66 (19.7%)	11.3	1019^th of 1138 public elementary schools	10.5%		14.2	1036^th of 1160 public elementary schools	10.7%	17	34.0	34.0	31.5	16.7	29.6	25.6	37.0	28.3	13.0	26.2	92.1	94.7	92.1	92.1	92.1	94.7	97.4	92.1	94.7	94.7	$21,953	$992	$20,961
Camas Prairie Elementary	Public	K-5	320 176th Street East	Spanaway	98387	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 800-7400	529	39	13.5	67.9%	151 (28.5%)	47 (8.9%)	140 (26.5%)	29 (5.5%)	1 (0.2%)	57 (10.8%)	104 (19.7%)	55.5	486^th of 1138 public elementary schools	57.3%		62.1	410^th of 1160 public elementary schools	64.7%	76	48.0	48.0	46.6	55.6	47.9	49.6	55.8	53.5	51.0	53.4	86.4	89.8	89.8	89.8	89.8	87.5	94.3	88.6	87.5	87.5	$20,664	$1,504	$19,160
Bethel Hope Early Learning Center	Public	PK-K	214 167th St. S	Spanaway	98387	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 800-4100	163	7	23.2	74.2%	56 (34.4%)	13 (8.0%)	51 (31.3%)	3 (1.8%)	6 (3.7%)	5 (3.1%)	29 (17.8%)								(n/a)																					$20,475	$1,175	$19,300
Spanaway Elementary	Public	K-5	412 165th St S	Spanaway	98387	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 800-5300	371	26	14.3	70.9%	127 (34.2%)	31 (8.4%)	90 (24.3%)	14 (3.8%)	4 (1.1%)	31 (8.4%)	74 (19.9%)	37.5	712^th of 1138 public elementary schools	37.4%		35.3	744^th of 1160 public elementary schools	35.9%	32	29.1	29.1	40.4	45.3	45.5	43.9	48.1	43.8	40.0	43.9	88.7	94.4	93.0	93.0	93.0	94.4	97.2	91.6	94.4	94.4	$21,595	$1,533	$20,062

Frequently Asked Questions about Naches Trail Elementary

What schools do graduates of Naches Trail Elementary attend?

Students who attend Naches Trail Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Spanaway Middle School
High : Spanaway Lake High School

What district is Naches Trail Elementary in?

Bethel School District

Is Naches Trail Elementary a good school?

Naches Trail Elementary ranks 787^th of 1138 Washington elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Naches Trail Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 519 students attended Naches Trail Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Naches Trail Elementary?

Students at Naches Trail Elementary are 37% White, 23% Hispanic, 20% Two or more races, 10% African American, 5% Asian, 4% Pacific Islander.

Rate Naches Trail Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

WAWashington Elementary School Rankings

WAWashington District Rankings

Schools in Tacoma, WA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Naches Trail Elementary!

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.