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Gates Secondary School

Public Grades 10-12

Summary

Gates Secondary School is a small public high school in Tacoma, Washington, serving grades 8-12 with just 86 students. The school is part of the Franklin Pierce School District, which is ranked 208 out of 249 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite its small size and low student-teacher ratio of around 7:1, Gates Secondary School consistently underperforms academically, ranking in the bottom 10% of high schools in Washington with a 0-star rating. Its proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Science are significantly lower than the district and state averages. The school also has a very high percentage of economically disadvantaged students, with around 70-75% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, much higher than nearby high schools like Franklin Pierce High School and Washington High School. Additionally, Gates Secondary School has seen a decline in its four-year graduation rate, from 78.6% in 2018-2019 to 72.3% in 2022-2023, while its dropout rate has been increasing, reaching 11.2% in 2020-2021.

Despite the challenges, Gates Secondary School's small size and diverse student population present an opportunity for targeted interventions and support to improve academic outcomes. Strategies focused on addressing the needs of economically disadvantaged students and providing additional resources and support could potentially help the school make progress, though the school's location within a lower-performing school district may also be a contributing factor to its underperformance.

104

Students ?

7.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$40,763

Per pupil spending ?

76.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4608 128th St E
Tacoma, WA 98446

(253) 298-4000

District: Franklin Pierce School District

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

35.6%

White:

26.0%

Two or more races:

20.2%

See top rated Washington public schools

Compare Gates Secondary School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 3rd percentile in 2010 → 1st in 2023

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 8 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Washington average (12% vs 50% meeting standards)

Students meeting standards (2023-2024) ?

This school12%

District avg38%

Washington avg50%

Not ranked this year

Gates Secondary School did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.

200^th of 247Franklin Pierce 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2009	15.1	431 of 476	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	62.3	157 of 466	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	23.8	382 of 463	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	39.4	291 of 449	35.2%	★★☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2023	3.0	436 of 442	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	5.1	450 of 455	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.3	355 of 417	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.7	295 of 315	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	16.5	264 of 301	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	22.6	265 of 306	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	7.9	424 of 454	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	9.9	406 of 450	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	10.8	383 of 440	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	4.2	411 of 423	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	7.1	378 of 402	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	14.1	350 of 396	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	14.0	344 of 399	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	6.8	364 of 395	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	8.0	356 of 394	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	13.6	340 of 390	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2021	21.3	342 of 392	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.0	272 of 344	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2021	5.7	389 of 395	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

High school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)13th percentile+12 vs school

Male (2021)2nd percentile~ school

★

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Schools Near Gates Secondary 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
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
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
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
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
Puyallup Open Doors/POD	Public	9-12	1501 39th Ave SW	Puyallup	98373	Pierce County	Puyallup School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 864-5700	124	4	31.0	63.7%	61 (49.2%)	8 (6.5%)	36 (29.0%)	3 (2.4%)	3 (2.4%)	4 (3.2%)	9 (7.3%)								(n/a)		23.5	23.5									$14,880	$170	$14,710
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
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
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
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Gates Secondary School

What district is Gates Secondary School in?

Franklin Pierce School District

How many students attend Gates Secondary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 104 students attended Gates Secondary School.

What is the racial makeup of Gates Secondary School?

Students at Gates Secondary School are 36% Hispanic, 26% White, 20% Two or more races, 8% African American, 7% Pacific Islander, 4% Asian.

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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.