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

Spanaway Lake High School

Q: Is Spanaway Lake High School a good school?

Spanaway Lake High School ranks 305 th of 438 Washington high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

305^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 438 Washington High Schools

Better than 30% of Washington high schools

Summary

Spanaway Lake High School is a large public high school serving approximately 1,800 students in grades 9-12 within the Bethel School District in Spanaway, WA, and it faces significant academic challenges while also demonstrating notable strengths in student retention.

The school's most pressing concern is its very low proficiency in mathematics, with only about 17% of students meeting state standards, which is dramatically lower than the state average and lags behind nearby schools like Bethel High School (27%) and Gov John Rogers High School (23%). However, this academic struggle exists alongside a real success: a strong 92% graduation rate that exceeds the state average and matches or beats many neighboring high schools, including Franklin Pierce High School. This contrast suggests the school is effective at keeping students on track to graduate, even as they may struggle with core academic skills.

Performance varies widely for different groups of students; the school has been exceptionally effective in supporting homeless students but faces severe challenges in serving students in special education. Compared to other schools in its own district, Spanaway Lake operates with a higher student-to-teacher ratio and lower per-student spending than some peers, such as the alternative Challenger High School. For parents, the key takeaways are the school's supportive environment that leads to high graduation rates, its acute need for improvement in math instruction, and its uneven record in helping all student subgroups succeed.

1,787

Students ?

22.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,697

Per pupil spending ?

60.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1305 168th Street East
Spanaway, WA 98387-5906

(253) 800-5600

District: Bethel School District

Feeder schools for Spanaway Lake High School:

Elementary:	Camas Prairie Elementary
	Chester H Thompson Elementary
	Clover Creek Elementary
	Evergreen Elementary
	More...
	Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School
	Naches Trail Elementary
	Spanaway Elementary
Middle:	Cedarcrest Middle School
	Spanaway Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

28.0%

Hispanic:

24.5%

Two or more races:

16.7%

See top rated Washington high schools

Compare Spanaway Lake High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 22nd percentile in 2022 → 30th in 2025

Strengths

✓92% graduate in 4 years — above the Washington average (83%)

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 30th (2025) from a 22nd-percentile low (2022)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Washington average (39% vs 48% meeting standards)

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

!Math scores 26 pts below the Washington average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school39%

District avg43%

Washington avg48%

305^th of 438

Washington public high schools ?

Bottom 30%▼ down 38 pts since 2015

From top 31% (2015) to bottom 30% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Washington High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 4High Schools in the Bethel School District

138^th of 247Bethel 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
2025	32.1	305 of 438	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.5	304 of 437	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.0	320 of 442	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.5	338 of 434	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.3	307 of 455	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.2	307 of 417	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	41.7	217 of 315	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	39.9	207 of 301	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	49.3	181 of 306	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	60.9	107 of 341	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	36.4	329 of 454	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	37.2	308 of 450	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2011	32.8	306 of 440	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	44.5	262 of 423	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	42.8	264 of 402	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	49.6	240 of 396	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2007	40.5	281 of 399	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	42.1	263 of 395	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2005	53.0	220 of 394	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2004	43.3	246 of 390	36.9%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	33.8	55 of 80	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.4	43 of 70	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	14.6	72 of 78	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	31.0	62 of 89	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.6	76 of 111	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.3	46 of 86	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.1	27 of 54	50.0%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	19.9	94 of 119	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.2	74 of 113	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.0	77 of 118	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	19.1	108 of 124	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	37.8	84 of 136	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	29.5	93 of 121	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.6	64 of 87	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2024	31.3	45 of 68	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.4	19 of 44	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	72.8	18 of 69	73.9%	★★★★☆
2018	30.6	49 of 65	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	30.3	249 of 350	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.7	266 of 347	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.9	252 of 357	29.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	19.4	316 of 368	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.3	267 of 390	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.6	245 of 358	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.9	175 of 243	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	42.2	132 of 249	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.5	162 of 248	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.9	150 of 249	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.8	137 of 261	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.9	170 of 278	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	61.3	77 of 241	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.6	53 of 156	66.0%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	81.1	6 of 36	83.3%	★★★★☆
2024	71.3	4 of 24	83.3%	★★★★☆
2021	36.7	29 of 45	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.5	20 of 43	53.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	38.7	217 of 355	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.1	217 of 356	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.1	267 of 362	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.0	254 of 370	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.8	206 of 392	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.2	229 of 344	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.5	157 of 227	30.8%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	29.3	259 of 359	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.0	250 of 362	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	18.5	300 of 358	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.4	290 of 363	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.1	281 of 395	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.5	288 of 355	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	37.4	181 of 254	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	31.2	27 of 34	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	46.5	21 of 34	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	17.5	27 of 31	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.7	32 of 38	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	57.5	18 of 47	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	15.4	29 of 31	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	18.2	150 of 170	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.8	145 of 161	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.1	156 of 166	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.6	178 of 179	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	29.6	147 of 195	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	17.4	146 of 163	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	44.1	5 of 8	37.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	24.8	8 of 8	0.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.1	9 of 9	0.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	55.0	8 of 17	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	48.0	16 of 33	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	30.9	15 of 18	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	18.8	109 of 127	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.3	108 of 110	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	22.2	96 of 110	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.7	124 of 130	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	29.9	151 of 212	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.1	121 of 128	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	34.2	258 of 373	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.3	256 of 374	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.8	277 of 379	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.3	329 of 390	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	41.7	234 of 413	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	24.8	316 of 382	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.0	167 of 222	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆

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 (2025)83rd percentile+53 vs school

Hispanic (2025)47th percentile+17 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)39th percentile+9 vs school

Pacific Islander (2025)38th percentile+7 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)34th percentile+3 vs school

African American (2025)31st percentile~ school

White (2025)31st percentile~ school

Female (2025)29th percentile~ school

Male (2025)28th percentile-3 vs school

Asian (2025)21st percentile-9 vs school

Military Connected (2025)21st percentile-10 vs school

Special Education (2025)14th percentile-16 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)12th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts56%+3 vs state

Science44%-5 vs state

Math17%-26 vs state

2.5

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★0

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate Spanaway Lake High School

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 student
Wednesday, June 6, 2012

This school has a lot of diversity and has many introductions to many different cultures. This school may not have the best academics scores, but the people here are very nice and this school has a safe friendly environment. Also, many students here work hard and really focus on their academics even if they may not be doing the best. This school takes the students academics very seriously and at the same time we have lots of fun here. Furthermore, the teachers here are awesome because they don;t be too strict or too easy. They truly care about their students and have a bond with them. They make sure that we fully understand what we're learning and is always open to any questions asked. I really love how compared to other schools, the people here don't judge you and there is so much diversity that I see lots of people go in groups with completely different ethnicity. Close Quote

Schools Near Spanaway Lake High School

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 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 10th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts All Grades	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
Spanaway Lake High School	Public	9-12	1305 168th Street East	Spanaway	98387	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 800-5600	1,787	79	22.7	60.5%	500 (28.0%)	243 (13.6%)	437 (24.5%)	126 (7.1%)	20 (1.1%)	158 (8.8%)	299 (16.7%)	32.1	305^th of 438 public high schools	30.4%		32.5	304^th of 437 public high schools	30.4%	1		44.2	44.2			55.7	55.7			16.9	16.9	$16,697	$1,532	$15,165
Transition 18-21 Program	Public	12	516 176th St E	Spanaway	98387	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(253) 800-2300	58	0		50.0%	23 (39.7%)	6 (10.3%)	14 (24.1%)	1 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.7%)	13 (22.4%)								(n/a)												$5,612	$721	$4,890
Acceleration Academy	Public	9-12	16218 Pacific Ave	Spanaway	98387	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 267-1045	450	8	56.2	48.4%	183 (40.7%)	31 (6.9%)	116 (25.8%)	10 (2.2%)	5 (1.1%)	33 (7.3%)	71 (15.8%)								(n/a)		27.1	27.1									$5,612	$721	$4,890
Challenger High School	Public	7-12	18117 A Street South	Spanaway	98387	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 800-6800	318	20	15.9	62.3%	157 (49.4%)	13 (4.1%)	76 (23.9%)	4 (1.3%)	5 (1.6%)	7 (2.2%)	52 (16.4%)	17.5	369^th of 438 public high schools	15.8%		17.8	372^nd of 437 public high schools	14.9%	3	32.3	18.8	22.4	30.4	46.9	55.4	48.3	25.0	28.1	8.6	17.5	$19,563	$861	$18,702
Pierce County Skills Center	Public	8-12	16117 Canyon Rd E	Puyallup	98375	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 800-5950	355	15	23.6	26.2%	204 (57.5%)	22 (6.2%)	76 (21.4%)	21 (5.9%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (1.7%)	18 (5.1%)								(n/a)												$18,068	$846	$17,222
Gates Secondary School	Public	10-12	4608 128th St E	Tacoma	98446	Pierce County	Franklin Pierce School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 298-4000	104	14	7.6	76.9%	27 (26.0%)	8 (7.7%)	37 (35.6%)	4 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (6.7%)	21 (20.2%)								(n/a)												$40,763	$1,195	$39,569
Washington High School	Public	9-12	12420 Ainsworth Ave S	Tacoma	98444	Pierce County	Franklin Pierce School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 298-4705	989	56	17.6	69.1%	232 (23.5%)	122 (12.3%)	329 (33.3%)	66 (6.7%)	7 (0.7%)	88 (8.9%)	144 (14.6%)	25.4	337^th of 438 public high schools	23.1%		23.8	347^th of 437 public high schools	20.6%	10		44.2	44.2			47.3	47.3			14.7	14.7	$19,983	$1,829	$18,154
Franklin Pierce High School	Public	9-12	11002 18th Ave E	Tacoma	98445	Pierce County	Franklin Pierce School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 298-3805	977	55	17.8	64.4%	254 (26.0%)	93 (9.5%)	331 (33.9%)	98 (10.0%)	14 (1.4%)	49 (5.0%)	138 (14.1%)	27.7	329^th of 438 public high schools	24.9%		42.3	254^th of 437 public high schools	41.9%	75		43.5	43.5			49.2	49.2			18.0	18.0	$19,416	$1,910	$17,507
Bethel High School	Public	9-12	22215 38th Avenue East	Spanaway	98387	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 800-7000	1,688	78	21.5	50.8%	716 (42.4%)	102 (6.0%)	392 (23.2%)	63 (3.7%)	15 (0.9%)	84 (5.0%)	308 (18.2%)	48.6	208^th of 438 public high schools	52.5%		44.4	244^th of 437 public high schools	44.2%	36		49.4	49.4			64.7	64.7			26.7	26.7	$17,225	$1,187	$16,038
Gov John Rogers High School	Public	9-12	12801 86th Ave E	Puyallup	98373	Pierce County	Puyallup School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 841-8717	1,788	76	23.5	46.7%	770 (43.1%)	139 (7.8%)	402 (22.5%)	153 (8.6%)	10 (0.6%)	60 (3.4%)	239 (13.4%)	51.6	200^th of 438 public high schools	54.3%		52.2	203^rd of 437 public high schools	53.5%	3		56.8	56.8			65.0	65.0			23.0	23.0	$15,752	$612	$15,141

Frequently Asked Questions about Spanaway Lake High School

What is the racial makeup of Spanaway Lake High School?

Students at Spanaway Lake High School are 28% White, 24% Hispanic, 17% Two or more races, 14% African American, 9% Pacific Islander, 7% Asian, 1% American Indian.

What district is Spanaway Lake High School in?

Bethel School District

Is Spanaway Lake High School a good school?

Spanaway Lake High School ranks 305^th of 438 Washington high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools feed into Spanaway Lake High School?

Spanaway Lake High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Camas Prairie Elementary
Elementary : Chester H Thompson Elementary
Elementary : Clover Creek Elementary
Elementary : Evergreen Elementary
Elementary : Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School
Elementary : Naches Trail Elementary
Elementary : Spanaway Elementary
Middle : Cedarcrest Middle School
Middle : Spanaway Middle School

How many students attend Spanaway Lake High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,787 students attended Spanaway Lake High School.

Rate Spanaway Lake High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

WAWashington High School Rankings

WAWashington District Rankings

Schools in Spanaway, WA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Spanaway Lake High School!

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.