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Columbia Junior High School

Q: Is Columbia Junior High School a good school?

Columbia Junior High School ranks 329 th of 534 Washington alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Alternative Grades 8-9

329^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 534 Washington Alternative Schools

Better than 38% of Washington alternative schools

Summary

Columbia Junior High School is an alternative public school serving 619 students in grades 8-9 within the Fife School District in Tacoma, WA, a district ranked in the 40th percentile statewide.

Academically, the school's proficiency rates are below the Washington state averages, with 47.74% in English Language Arts, 29.58% in Math, and 36.33% in Science. However, there is a positive sign: math scores improved by nearly 8 percentage points in the last year. The school serves a student population with growing economic needs, as the rate of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch has risen to 56.7%. With a student-teacher ratio of 20.7 to 1 and per-student spending of $16,097, the school operates in a context where it spends more per student than some higher-performing nearby schools but achieves mixed results relative to its district averages.

Comparisons with nearby alternative schools reveal a diverse educational landscape. For instance, Curtis Junior High, located about 9 miles away in the high-performing University Place School District, scores significantly higher in all subjects. Meanwhile, Internet Academy, an online school about 6.5 miles away, has similar ELA proficiency but lower math scores. This shows that while Columbia faces challenges, particularly in math and science, it is showing recent improvement and operates within a complex network of schools serving very different student populations and missions.

619

Students ?

20.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,097

Per pupil spending ?

56.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2901 54th Avenue E
Tacoma, WA 98424-2110

(253) 517-1600

District: Fife School District

Racial breakdown:

White:

36.7%

Hispanic:

22.6%

Two or more races:

14.1%

See top rated Washington elementary schools

Compare Columbia Junior High School to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 38th percentile in 2013 → 38th in 2025

Worth a look

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

!Math scores 13 pts below the Washington average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school38%

District avg42%

Washington avg48%

329^th of 534

Washington public middle schools ?

Bottom 38%▼ down 16 pts since 2015

From top 46% (2015) to bottom 38% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Washington Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

147^th of 247Fife 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	36.7	329 of 534	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	25.6	399 of 535	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.5	348 of 539	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.8	364 of 541	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	22.4	412 of 512	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	56.7	179 of 437	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	66.4	138 of 435	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	61.7	167 of 443	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	51.8	204 of 445	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	41.7	307 of 498	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	28.1	383 of 497	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	52.8	227 of 492	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	48.0	258 of 483	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2009	34.9	334 of 476	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2008	60.1	172 of 466	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	50.1	232 of 463	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2006	32.9	330 of 449	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	50.4	47 of 101	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	39.2	52 of 90	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.4	54 of 104	48.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.7	27 of 111	75.7%	★★★★☆
2018	88.4	4 of 66	93.9%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	29.1	109 of 147	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.3	131 of 148	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.4	97 of 145	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.1	99 of 161	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	21.7	127 of 152	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	37.7	81 of 123	34.1%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	37.7	291 of 471	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	25.8	360 of 464	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.1	291 of 464	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.2	364 of 479	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.3	340 of 452	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	58.6	151 of 376	59.8%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	41.7	191 of 347	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.0	227 of 344	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	21.9	272 of 336	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.8	213 of 360	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	12.2	332 of 344	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	61.6	84 of 259	67.6%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	29.5	341 of 457	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.6	364 of 455	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.5	396 of 463	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.6	319 of 475	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	19.7	388 of 448	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	52.4	146 of 349	58.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	35.4	309 of 472	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	25.5	351 of 466	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.0	333 of 470	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	42.1	261 of 480	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	14.5	408 of 453	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	47.8	181 of 371	51.2%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	37.1	157 of 246	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	11.8	231 of 243	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	47.2	121 of 244	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	28.2	190 of 257	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.6	185 of 246	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	37.2	112 of 166	32.5%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	29.1	126 of 186	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.2	176 of 268	34.3%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	33.0	338 of 488	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.6	337 of 486	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.7	310 of 488	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.1	351 of 488	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.0	399 of 470	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	53.8	139 of 325	57.2%	★★★☆☆

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)

African American (2025)53rd percentile+15 vs school

Hispanic (2025)45th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2025)38th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2025)36th percentile~ school

Male (2025)35th percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2025)32nd percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)31st percentile-8 vs school

Asian (2025)26th percentile-13 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)25th percentile-13 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts48%-5 vs state

Science36%-13 vs state

Math30%-13 vs state

★

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Schools Near Columbia Junior High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				WCAS Science (2025)				SBAC English Language Arts (2025)							SBAC Math (2025)						% 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/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	WCAS Science 5th Grade	WCAS Science 8th Grade	WCAS Science 11th Grade	WCAS Science All Grades	SBAC English Language Arts 4th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 5th Grade	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 4th Grade	SBAC Math 5th Grade	SBAC Math 7th Grade	SBAC Math 8th Grade	SBAC Math 10th 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
Columbia Junior High School	Public, Alternative	8-9	2901 54th Avenue E	Tacoma	98424	Pierce County	Fife School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 517-1600	619	30	20.7	56.7%	227 (36.7%)	63 (10.2%)	140 (22.6%)	49 (7.9%)	3 (0.5%)	42 (6.8%)	87 (14.1%)								(n/a)		36.3		36.3					47.7		47.7				29.6		29.6											$16,097	$363	$15,734
Chief Leschi School	Public, Alternative	K-12	5625 52nd Street East	Puyallup	98371	Pierce County	Chief Leschi School	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(253) 445-6000	633	88	7.1	99.5%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	633 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
PSD Special Services	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	Puyallup School District Speci	Puyallup	98371	Pierce County	Puyallup School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 841-8700	52	0	17.8	44.2%	14 (26.9%)	4 (7.7%)	19 (36.5%)	4 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.9%)	10 (19.2%)								(n/a)
Special Services	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	601 S. 8th Street	Tacoma	98405	Pierce County	Tacoma School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 571-1224	9	0		33.3%	5 (55.6%)	3 (33.3%)	1 (11.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Support School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	33330 8th Ave S	Federal Way	98003	King County	Federal Way School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 945-2000	55	0		47.3%	18 (32.7%)	9 (16.4%)	14 (25.5%)	7 (12.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.6%)	5 (9.1%)								(n/a)																												$6,267	$469	$5,798
Puyallup Online Academy/POA	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	1501 39th Ave SW	Puyallup	98373	Pierce County	Puyallup School District	No	No	Yes	No	(253) 864-5700	199	6	34.3	56.3%	104 (52.3%)	7 (3.5%)	40 (20.1%)	9 (4.5%)	5 (2.5%)	11 (5.5%)	19 (9.5%)								(n/a)		44.4	47.1	46.2				29.4	37.5	42.1	38.0			25.0		11.8	15.2											$15,659	$170	$15,489
Internet Academy	Public, Virtual, Alternative	PK, KG-12	31455 28th Ave S	Federal Way	98003	King County	Federal Way School District	No	No	Yes	No	(253) 945-2230	370	17	21.3	58.1%	122 (33.0%)	50 (13.5%)	101 (27.3%)	37 (10.0%)	5 (1.4%)	11 (3.0%)	41 (11.1%)								(n/a)	62.5	25.8	47.1	37.5	36.4	77.8	30.8	57.9	40.6	50.0	45.8	36.4	44.4	36.8	15.6	16.7	24.2	90.9	90.9	90.9	90.9	90.9	90.9	90.9	90.9	90.9	90.9	$18,355	$1,680	$16,676
West Auburn Senior High School	Public, Alternative	K-12	401 W Main St	Auburn	98001	King County	Auburn School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(253) 931-4990	506	31	16.3	69.8%	151 (29.8%)	54 (10.7%)	177 (35.0%)	25 (4.9%)	19 (3.8%)	26 (5.1%)	54 (10.7%)								(n/a)			14.7	14.6							17.4						8.9											$17,789	$1,008	$16,780
Special Educational School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	502 4th St NE	Auburn	98002	King County	Auburn School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 931-4927	35	4	8.7	31.4%	13 (37.1%)	4 (11.4%)	8 (22.9%)	5 (14.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (14.3%)								(n/a)
Gravelly Lake K-12 Academy	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	5504 112th St SW	Lakewood	98499	Pierce County	Clover Park School District	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(253) 583-5545	162	3	54.0	74.1%	55 (34.0%)	11 (6.8%)	56 (34.6%)	5 (3.1%)	1 (0.6%)	10 (6.2%)	17 (10.5%)								(n/a)									41.7	40.0	31.5																	$15,658	$1,295	$14,362

Frequently Asked Questions about Columbia Junior High School

What district is Columbia Junior High School in?

Fife School District

What is the racial makeup of Columbia Junior High School?

Students at Columbia Junior High School are 37% White, 23% Hispanic, 14% Two or more races, 10% African American, 8% Asian, 7% Pacific Islander, 1% Not Specified.

How many students attend Columbia Junior High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 619 students attended Columbia Junior High School.

Is Columbia Junior High School a good school?

Columbia Junior High School ranks 329^th of 534 Washington alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Columbia Junior High School!

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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.