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Sylvester Middle School

Q: Is Sylvester Middle School a good school?

Sylvester Middle School ranks 282 nd of 514 Washington middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

282^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 514 Washington Middle Schools

Better than 45% of Washington middle schools

Summary

Sylvester Middle School is a public school in Burien serving 582 students in grades 6–8, located in the Highline School District and surrounded by a moderately high-need community. The school ranked 282nd of 514 Washington middle schools in 2025–2026, placing it in the 45th percentile. That is an improvement from the mid-30s three years earlier. Its 49.48% free- or reduced-price lunch rate is lower than the roughly 73%–75% rates at nearby Pacific Middle School, Cascade Middle School, Chinook Middle School, and Glacier Middle School.

For local families comparing schools, Sylvester is the clear academic leader among the traditional Highline School District middle schools. In 2025–2026, 42.73% of students were proficient in English language arts, 33.77% in math, and 49.10% in science. Each result was higher than at Pacific, Cascade, Chinook, and Glacier, with the largest advantage in science. Sylvester also outperformed nearby Nelsen Middle School and Dimmitt Middle School. However, it trails higher-performing McMurray Middle School and Rainier Prep, while its science result was slightly above that of David T. Denny International Middle School.

Math is showing the clearest improvement, rising from 28.05% proficiency in 2023–2024 to 33.77% in 2025–2026, while science is the school’s strongest area relative to Washington overall. Grade-level results are fairly consistent, and math performance increases from sixth through eighth grade. The main concern is equity within the school: the low-socioeconomic-status subgroup ranked at the 11th percentile, well below the schoolwide 45th percentile, and special education students ranked at the 27th percentile in the latest available year. Sylvester’s 19.3 student-teacher ratio and $21,126 per-student spending are broadly typical for the surrounding schools. Overall, it is a relative bright spot in Highline, with encouraging momentum but room to improve math, English language arts, and outcomes for students who need the most support.

582

Students ?

19.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,126

Per pupil spending ?

49.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

16222 Sylvester Road SW
Burien, WA 98166-3093

(206) 631-6000

District: Highline School District

Students who attend Sylvester Middle School usually attend:

High:

Mount Rainier High School

Feeder schools for Sylvester Middle School:

Elementary:	Gregory Heights Elementary
	Marvista Elementary
	North Hill Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

37.3%

Hispanic:

32.5%

Two or more races:

9.8%

See top rated Washington middle schools

Compare Sylvester Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 32nd percentile in 2016 → 45th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 13 percentile points since 2016

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Highline School District

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Washington average (40% vs 48% meeting standards)

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

!English Language Arts scores 10 pts below the Washington average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg30%

Washington avg48%

282^nd of 514

Washington public middle schools ?

Bottom 45%▲ up 14 pts since 2016

From bottom 32% (2016) to bottom 45% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Washington Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 5Middle Schools in the Highline School District

198^th of 238Highline 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	42.3	282 of 514	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.0	319 of 534	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.3	350 of 535	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.3	314 of 539	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.8	309 of 541	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.3	287 of 529	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	24.6	400 of 512	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.4	351 of 437	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	22.3	341 of 435	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	32.7	303 of 443	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	38.9	269 of 445	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	29.9	375 of 498	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	23.8	398 of 497	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	36.4	342 of 492	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	30.2	365 of 483	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	32.8	347 of 476	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	37.2	300 of 466	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2007	56.6	185 of 463	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	47.0	239 of 449	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2005	53.2	205 of 425	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2004	38.9	277 of 421	34.2%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	30.9	72 of 100	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.1	84 of 101	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	66.6	29 of 96	69.8%	★★★★☆
2022	56.4	34 of 104	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.1	24 of 106	77.4%	★★★★☆
2019	49.5	44 of 111	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	11.0	66 of 66	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	29.2	86 of 114	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	30.0	107 of 147	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.0	110 of 148	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.4	118 of 145	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.6	97 of 161	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.1	92 of 149	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.3	112 of 152	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.0	114 of 123	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2019	13.6	98 of 100	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	23.4	127 of 135	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	31.4	306 of 443	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	26.5	359 of 471	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.6	321 of 464	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.1	312 of 464	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.9	251 of 479	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	50.4	213 of 469	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	21.9	374 of 452	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.5	334 of 376	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	24.2	278 of 347	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.9	306 of 347	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.3	308 of 344	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.3	287 of 336	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.6	331 of 360	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	17.4	324 of 353	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.1	325 of 344	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	15.2	240 of 259	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2022	64.7	8 of 33	75.8%	★★★★☆
2019	39.8	36 of 59	39.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	16.8	405 of 453	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.9	379 of 457	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.1	407 of 455	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.4	357 of 463	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.7	358 of 475	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.2	359 of 458	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.9	365 of 448	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.2	291 of 349	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	49.2	211 of 454	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	45.3	249 of 472	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.8	306 of 466	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.2	268 of 470	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.0	326 of 480	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.4	300 of 476	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.8	345 of 453	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.1	280 of 371	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	47.2	118 of 222	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	25.8	192 of 246	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.2	179 of 243	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.0	180 of 244	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.8	182 of 257	29.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.7	184 of 250	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	48.4	129 of 246	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.0	94 of 166	43.4%	★★☆☆☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2019	31.7	24 of 31	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	27.4	135 of 186	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.1	140 of 179	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.8	148 of 167	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.6	184 of 210	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.2	215 of 268	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	66.5	138 of 453	69.5%	★★★★☆
2025	75.5	99 of 488	79.7%	★★★★☆
2024	58.6	184 of 486	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.4	139 of 488	71.5%	★★★★☆
2022	64.3	147 of 488	69.9%	★★★★☆
2021	70.4	115 of 480	76.0%	★★★★☆
2019	60.9	166 of 470	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	42.5	189 of 325	41.8%	★★☆☆☆

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 (2022)76th percentile+33 vs school

White (2026)70th percentile+24 vs school

Male (2026)54th percentile+8 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)47th percentile~ school

Female (2026)31st percentile-14 vs school

African American (2026)28th percentile-17 vs school

Special Education (2025)27th percentile-13 vs school

Asian (2026)25th percentile-21 vs school

Pacific Islander (2019)23rd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)20th percentile-25 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)11th percentile-35 vs school

English Language Learner (2019)2nd percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2025-2026) ?

Science49%~ state avg

English Language Arts43%-10 vs state

Math34%-9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Sylvester Middle School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				WCAS Science (2026)			SBAC English Language Arts (2026)					SBAC Math (2026)					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 8th Grade	WCAS Science All Grades	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 All Grades	SBAC Math 5th Grade	SBAC Math 6th Grade	SBAC Math 7th Grade	SBAC Math 8th Grade	SBAC Math All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sylvester Middle School	Public	6-8	16222 Sylvester Road SW	Burien	98166	King County	Highline School District	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 631-6000	582	30	19.3	49.5%	217 (37.3%)	49 (8.4%)	189 (32.5%)	48 (8.2%)	9 (1.5%)	11 (1.9%)	57 (9.8%)	42.3	282^nd of 514 public middle schools	45.1%		38	319^th of 534 public middle schools	40.3%	37		49.1	49.1		42.5	41.1	45.2	42.7		31.9	33.8	36.0	33.8	$21,126	$1,327	$19,799
Glacier Middle School	Public	6-8	2450 South 142nd Street	SeaTac	98168	King County	Highline School District	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 631-5300	803	35	22.7	75.5%	50 (6.2%)	61 (7.6%)	477 (59.4%)	126 (15.7%)	8 (1.0%)	27 (3.4%)	49 (6.1%)	4.1	509^th of 514 public middle schools	1.0%		4.4	528^th of 534 public middle schools	1.1%	19		16.1	16.1		11.3	21.7	15.0	16.0		7.7	11.3	9.5	9.5	$20,164	$1,544	$18,620
Cascade Middle School	Public	6-8	11212 10th Ave Sw	Seattle	98146	King County	Highline School District	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 631-5500	671	40	16.8	73.3%	45 (6.7%)	76 (11.3%)	327 (48.7%)	156 (23.2%)	2 (0.3%)	7 (1.0%)	54 (8.0%)	13.8	459^th of 514 public middle schools	10.7%		12.4	481^st of 534 public middle schools	9.9%	22		23.7	23.7		32.1	34.8	26.2	30.9		18.2	22.4	12.2	17.5	$20,983	$1,532	$19,451
Chinook Middle School	Public	6-8	18650 42nd Ave S	SeaTac	98188	King County	Highline School District	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 631-5700	620	36	17.3	72.9%	70 (11.3%)	120 (19.4%)	248 (40.0%)	97 (15.6%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (7.6%)	38 (6.1%)	13.5	463^rd of 514 public middle schools	9.9%		15.6	464^th of 534 public middle schools	13.1%	1		33.3	33.3		27.0	28.3	32.5	29.4		13.2	12.7	20.6	15.7	$21,795	$1,517	$20,278
Showalter Middle School	Public	6-8	4628 S 144th St	Seattle	98168	King County	Tukwila School District	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 901-7800	651	32	20.4	75.4%	50 (7.7%)	121 (18.6%)	243 (37.3%)	164 (25.2%)	5 (0.8%)	31 (4.8%)	36 (5.5%)	10.3	479^th of 514 public middle schools	6.8%		12.4	482^nd of 534 public middle schools	9.7%	3		27.8	27.8		24.3	23.4	27.7	25.0		14.8	14.6	17.5	15.6	$22,084	$2,819	$19,265
Rainier Prep	Public, Charter	5-8	10211 12th Ave S	Seattle	98168	King County	Rainier Prep Charter School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(206) 494-5979	359	25	14.6	74.1%	19 (5.3%)	182 (50.7%)	108 (30.1%)	30 (8.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	18 (5.0%)	90.2	48^th of 514 public middle schools	90.7%		71.8	126^th of 534 public middle schools	76.4%	78	78.9	55.0	66.9	67.8	71.1	80.7	64.8	71.0	65.6	70.0	71.6	63.7	67.7	$21,731	$3,615	$18,116
Pacific Middle School	Public	6-8	615 S 200th St	Des Moines	98198	King County	Highline School District	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 631-5800	604	33	18.5	74.3%	82 (13.6%)	102 (16.9%)	221 (36.6%)	112 (18.5%)	1 (0.2%)	26 (4.3%)	58 (9.6%)	12.1	468^th of 514 public middle schools	8.9%		11.8	487^th of 534 public middle schools	8.8%	19		20.6	20.6		21.6	31.3	35.8	29.3		10.1	17.2	20.4	15.7	$20,856	$1,431	$19,425
David T. Denny International Middle School	Public	6-8	2601 SW Kenyon St	Seattle	98126	King County	Seattle School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 252-9000	722	45	16.1	58.3%	179 (24.8%)	148 (20.5%)	204 (28.3%)	88 (12.2%)	4 (0.6%)	12 (1.7%)	81 (11.2%)	54	214^th of 514 public middle schools	58.4%		40.6	303^rd of 534 public middle schools	43.3%	89		44.3	44.3		47.8	53.8	52.1	51.2		36.0	40.4	40.7	39.0	$23,858	$741	$23,117
Dimmitt Middle School	Public	6-8	12320 80th Ave S	Seattle	98178	King County	Renton School District	No	No	No	Yes	(425) 204-2800	605	34	17.5	62.3%	64 (10.6%)	141 (23.3%)	172 (28.4%)	157 (26.0%)	4 (0.7%)	21 (3.5%)	46 (7.6%)	30.7	352^nd of 514 public middle schools	31.5%		28	390^th of 534 public middle schools	27.0%	38		32.3	32.3		41.0	41.2	31.4	38.1		33.2	34.3	27.4	31.8	$21,054	$2,276	$18,778
McMurray Middle School	Public	6-8	9329 SW Cemetery Rd	Vashon	98070	King County	Vashon Island School District	No	No	No	No	(206) 463-9168	355	18	19.5	23.1%	262 (73.8%)	3 (0.8%)	44 (12.4%)	7 (2.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (10.7%)	88.5	55^th of 514 public middle schools	89.3%		88.7	58^th of 534 public middle schools	89.1%	3		68.5	68.5		66.4	64.0	62.0	64.2		70.8	58.8	66.9	65.8	$18,890	$298	$18,592

Frequently Asked Questions about Sylvester Middle School

How many students attend Sylvester Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 582 students attended Sylvester Middle School.

Is Sylvester Middle School a good school?

Sylvester Middle School ranks 282^nd of 514 Washington middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Sylvester Middle School?

Students at Sylvester Middle School are 37% White, 32% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 8% African American, 8% Asian, 2% Pacific Islander, 2% American Indian.

What district is Sylvester Middle School in?

Highline School District

What high school do graduates of Sylvester Middle School attend?

Students who attend Sylvester Middle School usually go on to attend Mount Rainier High School

Rate Sylvester Middle School!

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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.