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Federal Way Public Academy

Public Grades 6-10

27^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 534 Washington Middle Schools

Better than 95% of Washington middle schools

Summary

Federal Way Public Academy (FWPA) is a standout public middle school serving 309 students in grades 6-10 within the broader Federal Way School District, an area where many schools face significant academic challenges.

Despite being in a district ranked in the bottom 20% statewide, FWPA consistently ranks in the top 5% of all Washington middle schools, with student proficiency rates in English, math, and science that are more than double the district averages. This exceptional performance extends across student groups, with the school notably ranked #1 in the state for the past two years for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The school achieves these results with a lower per-student spending and a higher student-teacher ratio than many comparable schools, suggesting a highly effective and efficient academic model.

The contrast with nearby middle schools is stark: while schools like Sequoyah Middle School and Lakota Middle School in the same district rank in the bottom 30%, FWPA excels. It also significantly outperforms schools in higher-ranked neighboring districts, such as Meeker Middle School in Tacoma School District and Edgemont Junior High in Puyallup School District. For parents, FWPA represents a proven, high-achieving educational environment that fosters remarkable student growth, particularly from 6th to 10th grade, within its local community.

309

Students ?

23.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,762

Per pupil spending ?

43.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

34620 9th Av S
Federal Way, WA 98003-6731

(253) 945-3270

District: Federal Way School District

Racial breakdown:

White:

41.7%

Asian:

19.4%

Two or more races:

13.6%

See top rated Washington middle schools

Compare Federal Way Public Academy to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 95th percentile in 2015 → 95th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Washington average (74% vs 48% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 5% of Washington middle schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Federal Way School District

Worth a look

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

!Large classes — about 23 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school74%

District avg31%

Washington avg48%

27^th of 534

Washington public middle schools ?

Top 5%▬ steady since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Washington Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 7Middle Schools in the Federal Way School District

206^th of 247Federal Way 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	95.0	27 of 534	94.9%	★★★★★
2024	92.6	42 of 535	92.1%	★★★★★
2023	95.0	23 of 539	95.7%	★★★★★
2022	91.2	40 of 541	92.6%	★★★★★
2021	88.8	51 of 529	90.4%	★★★★★
2019	82.2	77 of 512	85.0%	★★★★☆
2018	82.2	75 of 437	82.8%	★★★★☆
2017	90.4	28 of 435	93.6%	★★★★★
2016	91.9	23 of 443	94.8%	★★★★★
2015	92.9	21 of 445	95.3%	★★★★★
2013	89.5	24 of 498	95.2%	★★★★★
2012	90.4	22 of 497	95.6%	★★★★★
2011	93.3	15 of 492	97.0%	★★★★★
2010	93.6	12 of 483	97.5%	★★★★★
2009	96.5	8 of 476	98.3%	★★★★★
2008	97.0	8 of 466	98.3%	★★★★★
2007	97.1	8 of 463	98.3%	★★★★★
2006	97.8	3 of 449	99.3%	★★★★★
2005	97.9	6 of 425	98.6%	★★★★★
2004	99.1	5 of 421	98.8%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	73.9	43 of 147	70.7%	★★★★☆
2023	72.7	41 of 145	71.7%	★★★★☆
2022	69.6	44 of 161	72.7%	★★★★☆
2021	69.1	46 of 149	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	76.7	33 of 152	78.3%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	88.8	47 of 471	90.0%	★★★★★
2024	88.2	47 of 464	89.9%	★★★★★
2023	94.8	21 of 464	95.5%	★★★★★
2022	90.4	40 of 479	91.6%	★★★★★
2021	93.1	30 of 469	93.6%	★★★★★
2019	78.7	69 of 452	84.7%	★★★★☆
2018	78.4	73 of 376	80.6%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2022	77.9	49 of 360	86.4%	★★★★☆
2021	79.9	49 of 353	86.1%	★★★★☆
2019	81.6	39 of 344	88.7%	★★★★☆
2018	76.4	46 of 259	82.2%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	99.2	1 of 457	99.8%	★★★★★
2024	98.9	1 of 455	99.8%	★★★★★
2023	96.3	7 of 463	98.5%	★★★★★
2022	96.0	8 of 475	98.3%	★★★★★
2021	92.0	15 of 458	96.7%	★★★★★
2019	92.0	7 of 448	98.4%	★★★★★
2018	90.5	24 of 349	93.1%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	96.4	19 of 472	96.0%	★★★★★
2024	94.4	30 of 466	93.6%	★★★★★
2023	93.1	31 of 470	93.4%	★★★★★
2022	88.9	46 of 480	90.4%	★★★★★
2021	83.2	71 of 476	85.1%	★★★★☆
2019	83.8	65 of 453	85.7%	★★★★☆
2018	83.4	61 of 371	83.6%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2022	82.3	34 of 257	86.8%	★★★★☆
2021	90.1	17 of 250	93.2%	★★★★★
2018	61.6	67 of 166	59.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	95.9	8 of 488	98.4%	★★★★★
2024	92.4	24 of 486	95.1%	★★★★★
2023	90.2	35 of 488	92.8%	★★★★★
2022	92.2	27 of 488	94.5%	★★★★★
2021	88.6	41 of 480	91.5%	★★★★★
2019	74.5	99 of 470	78.9%	★★★★☆
2018	73.3	85 of 325	73.8%	★★★★☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)100th percentile+5 vs school

White (2025)98th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2025)96th percentile~ school

Female (2025)90th percentile-5 vs school

Multi-racial (2022)87th percentile-6 vs school

Hispanic (2022)86th percentile-6 vs school

Asian (2025)71st percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts82%+29 vs state

Science73%+24 vs state

Math68%+25 vs state

5.0

4 ratings · 3 written reviews

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What people are saying

by a student
Friday, June 15, 2018

My experience at FWPA was great. The learning there was harder than any school that I have ever been to. Unfortunately, I had to move to a different city far away, so I had to go to a different school. With just one year of FWPA knowledge, I already learned everything my new school taught because FWPA already taught me this knowledge last year. Overall, FWPA is a great school. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

GOD BLESS Federal Way Public Academy! Words cannot begin to describe how thankful my family is to the dedicated educators, volunteers and staff of this amazing school. We could never afford to give our child the level of education she receives here as part of the public school system. We will continue to support this school long after our child graduates. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, June 8, 2011

REALLY hard school it's the last week of school and they don't care they're still giving you 7 hours at the least of homework every day! (AS ALWAYS) Close Quote

Schools Near Federal Way Public Academy

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 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
Federal Way Public Academy	Public	6-10	34620 9th Av S	Federal Way	98003	King County	Federal Way School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 945-3270	309	13	23.2	43.4%	129 (41.7%)	35 (11.3%)	40 (12.9%)	60 (19.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	42 (13.6%)	95	27^th of 534 public middle schools	94.9%		92.6	42^nd of 535 public middle schools	92.1%	15	73.0	73.0	71.9	78.1	88.9	89.5	81.9	68.8	70.3	71.4	59.7	67.7	$17,762	$857	$16,904
Illahee Middle School	Public	5-8	36001 1st AVE S	Federal Way	98003	King County	Federal Way School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 945-4600	655	37	17.5	76.3%	107 (16.3%)	146 (22.3%)	190 (29.0%)	68 (10.4%)	4 (0.6%)	68 (10.4%)	70 (10.7%)	14.5	469^th of 534 public middle schools	12.2%		15.3	468^th of 535 public middle schools	12.5%	1	26.3	26.3	24.4	35.3	38.9		32.7	12.9	17.4	20.3		16.8	$20,930	$1,124	$19,806
Sequoyah Middle School	Public	6-8	3425 S 360th ST	Auburn	98001	King County	Federal Way School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 945-3670	570	31	18.4	76.3%	140 (24.6%)	81 (14.2%)	161 (28.2%)	90 (15.8%)	3 (0.5%)	41 (7.2%)	54 (9.5%)	10.6	493^rd of 534 public middle schools	7.7%		11.9	491^st of 535 public middle schools	8.2%	2	18.8	18.8	18.7	33.3	33.1		28.5	12.0	18.2	17.2		15.9	$19,100	$1,200	$17,899
Lakota Middle School	Public	6-8	1415 SW 314th St	Federal Way	98023	King County	Federal Way School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 945-4800	645	33	19.7	71.2%	134 (20.8%)	107 (16.6%)	219 (34.0%)	48 (7.4%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (5.7%)	98 (15.2%)	28	391^st of 534 public middle schools	26.8%		25.1	404^th of 535 public middle schools	24.5%	13	31.8	31.8	36.4	48.4	43.1		42.5	19.1	32.2	25.0		25.3	$18,771	$1,099	$17,671
Sacajawea Middle School	Public	6-8	1101 S Dash Point Rd	Federal Way	98003	King County	Federal Way School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 945-4900	668	36	18.3	77.7%	97 (14.5%)	103 (15.4%)	253 (37.9%)	96 (14.4%)	2 (0.3%)	39 (5.8%)	77 (11.5%)	20	439^th of 534 public middle schools	17.8%		21	440^th of 535 public middle schools	17.8%	1	36.1	36.1	30.8	31.0	43.4		35.3	18.2	18.0	24.0		20.1	$19,089	$969	$18,120
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
Kilo Middle School	Public	6-8	4400 S 308th St	Auburn	98001	King County	Federal Way School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 945-4700	669	37	18.0	73.7%	143 (21.4%)	85 (12.7%)	238 (35.6%)	114 (17.0%)	2 (0.3%)	27 (4.0%)	60 (9.0%)	29.4	378^th of 534 public middle schools	29.2%		20.1	445^th of 535 public middle schools	16.8%	67	37.6	37.6	36.8	41.3	41.5		39.9	22.2	32.1	31.7		28.7	$18,574	$552	$18,022
Meeker Middle School	Public	6-8	4402 Nassau Ave Ne	Tacoma	98422	Pierce County	Tacoma School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 571-6500	567	28	20.2	43.6%	236 (41.6%)	41 (7.2%)	108 (19.0%)	74 (13.1%)	2 (0.4%)	9 (1.6%)	96 (16.9%)	49.8	244^th of 534 public middle schools	54.3%		52.8	234^th of 535 public middle schools	56.3%	10	48.6	48.6	45.6	57.7	51.7		51.6	32.2	37.6	37.6		35.8	$18,748	$1,065	$17,683
Edgemont Junior High	Public	6-9	2300 110th Ave E	Edgewood	98372	Pierce County	Puyallup School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 841-8727	590	27	21.6	43.9%	281 (47.6%)	33 (5.6%)	93 (15.8%)	60 (10.2%)	3 (0.5%)	34 (5.8%)	86 (14.6%)	52.6	228^th of 534 public middle schools	57.3%		54	223^rd of 535 public middle schools	58.3%	5	49.3	49.3	50.7	49.7	55.6		51.9	38.0	46.9	29.6		38.3	$16,065	$988	$15,077
Olympic Middle School	Public	6-8	839 21st ST SE	Auburn	98002	King County	Auburn School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 931-4966	956	56	17.1	68.0%	195 (20.4%)	54 (5.6%)	432 (45.2%)	92 (9.6%)	32 (3.3%)	60 (6.3%)	91 (9.5%)	16.2	462^nd of 534 public middle schools	13.5%		14.1	471^st of 535 public middle schools	12.0%	9	24.2	24.2	31.0	35.0	41.5		35.8	15.2	21.4	17.0		17.8	$16,905	$726	$16,179

Frequently Asked Questions about Federal Way Public Academy

Is Federal Way Public Academy a good school?

Yes. Federal Way Public Academy ranks in the top 5.1% of Washington middle schools.

What district is Federal Way Public Academy in?

Federal Way School District

What is the racial makeup of Federal Way Public Academy?

Students at Federal Way Public Academy are 42% White, 19% Asian, 14% Two or more races, 13% Hispanic, 11% African American.

How many students attend Federal Way Public Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 309 students attended Federal Way Public Academy.

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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.