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Ballou Junior High

Q: Is Ballou Junior High a good school?

Ballou Junior High ranks 225 th of 534 Washington middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-9

225^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 534 Washington Middle Schools

Better than 58% of Washington middle schools

Summary

Ballou Junior High is a public middle school serving about 850 students in grades 7-9 within the Puyallup School District, presenting a profile of notable academic strengths alongside clear challenges for families to consider.

Academically, the school shows a striking contrast: it excels in English Language Arts, leading all junior highs in the Puyallup School District, but faces significant struggles in Mathematics, where its proficiency is the lowest among district peers like Kalles Junior High. This pattern holds across grade levels, with scores dipping notably from 7th to 8th grade. While the school's overall 3-star rating places it in the middle of state rankings, it performs respectably given that nearly half of its students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, suggesting effective support systems for many in need.

When compared to schools in neighboring districts, such as Sumner Middle School in the higher-ranked Sumner-Bonney Lake School District, Ballou's results are lower, highlighting the role of broader district factors. The school achieves its outcomes with slightly lower per-student spending than some area schools, like Morris Ford Middle School. Parents should note the school's history shows a decline from previous 4-star ratings, with a recovery from pandemic lows that has been slower than some peers, indicating ongoing work to regain earlier performance levels.

852

Students ?

21.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,904

Per pupil spending ?

49.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

9916 136th St E
Puyallup, WA 98373-5667

(253) 841-8725

District: Puyallup School District

Students who attend Ballou Junior High usually attend:

High:

Gov John Rogers High School

Feeder schools for Ballou Junior High:

Elementary:	Dessie F Evans Elementary
	Edward Zeiger Elementary
	Firgrove Elementary
	Woodland Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.7%

Hispanic:

20.2%

Two or more races:

15.1%

See top rated Washington middle schools

Compare Ballou Junior High to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 38th percentile in 2021 → 58th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 58th (2025) from a 38th-percentile low (2021)

✓Above the Washington median (58th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school46%

District avg50%

Washington avg48%

225^th of 534

Washington public middle schools ?

Top 42%▼ down 13 pts since 2015

From top 29% (2015) to top 42% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Washington Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 7Middle Schools in the Puyallup School District

88^th of 247Puyallup 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	53.5	225 of 534	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.7	207 of 535	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.8	267 of 539	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.2	285 of 541	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.0	330 of 529	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.2	225 of 512	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.9	131 of 437	70.0%	★★★★☆
2017	70.7	118 of 435	72.9%	★★★★☆
2016	70.6	112 of 443	74.7%	★★★★☆
2015	67.6	131 of 445	70.6%	★★★★☆
2013	71.5	115 of 498	76.9%	★★★★☆
2012	67.9	138 of 497	72.2%	★★★★☆
2011	75.0	95 of 492	80.7%	★★★★☆
2010	72.0	108 of 483	77.6%	★★★★☆
2009	61.2	163 of 476	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2008	57.4	182 of 466	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2007	54.6	198 of 463	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2006	58.9	167 of 449	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2005	73.7	99 of 425	76.7%	★★★★☆
2004	67.6	128 of 421	69.6%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	65.1	30 of 101	70.3%	★★★★☆
2024	68.1	24 of 90	73.3%	★★★★☆
2023	85.4	9 of 96	90.6%	★★★★★
2022	35.7	63 of 104	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.1	46 of 111	58.6%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	35.7	94 of 147	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.7	93 of 148	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.2	95 of 145	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.9	79 of 161	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	38.8	91 of 149	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.5	111 of 152	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.6	102 of 123	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2018	52.7	37 of 135	72.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	51.6	212 of 471	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.4	176 of 464	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.9	204 of 464	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.1	223 of 479	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.1	262 of 469	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.6	191 of 452	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.7	126 of 376	66.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	59.4	120 of 347	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.4	130 of 344	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.4	158 of 336	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.9	139 of 360	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.7	183 of 353	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.2	170 of 344	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.5	69 of 259	73.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	59.2	160 of 457	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.9	96 of 455	78.9%	★★★★☆
2023	55.7	182 of 463	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.9	198 of 475	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.1	281 of 458	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.2	178 of 448	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.6	76 of 349	78.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	53.2	192 of 472	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.8	200 of 466	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	34.4	309 of 470	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.5	302 of 480	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.5	320 of 476	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.9	200 of 453	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.6	129 of 371	65.2%	★★★☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2022	25.9	45 of 51	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	55.3	19 of 44	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.3	25 of 50	50.0%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	47.1	123 of 246	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.8	123 of 243	49.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.0	147 of 244	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.7	172 of 257	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	21.5	205 of 250	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	48.1	130 of 246	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.6	98 of 166	41.0%	★★☆☆☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2022	90.7	1 of 20	95.0%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2019	33.7	147 of 231	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.1	100 of 268	62.7%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	51.1	226 of 488	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.7	162 of 486	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.2	249 of 488	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.2	285 of 488	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.6	277 of 480	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.9	224 of 470	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.1	109 of 325	66.5%	★★★☆☆

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)

Pacific Islander (2022)95th percentile+48 vs school

English Language Learner (2018)73rd percentile+3 vs school

African American (2025)70th percentile+12 vs school

Hispanic (2025)65th percentile+8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)65th percentile+7 vs school

Male (2025)59th percentile~ school

Female (2025)55th percentile-3 vs school

White (2025)54th percentile-4 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)50th percentile-8 vs school

Special Education (2019)36th percentile-20 vs school

Asian (2025)36th percentile-22 vs school

Military Connected (2022)12th percentile-36 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts62%+9 vs state

Science42%-7 vs state

Math34%-9 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, December 14, 2017

This is a kid friendly school with sixth grade to nineth Close Quote

Schools Near Ballou Junior High

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 All Grades	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
Ballou Junior High	Public	7-9	9916 136th St E	Puyallup	98373	Pierce County	Puyallup School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 841-8725	852	39	21.9	49.4%	381 (44.7%)	73 (8.6%)	172 (20.2%)	55 (6.5%)	10 (1.2%)	31 (3.6%)	129 (15.1%)	53.5	225^th of 534 public middle schools	57.9%		56.7	207^th of 535 public middle schools	61.3%	18	42.5	42.5		66.7	56.3	61.6		38.0	29.0	33.6	$15,904	$525	$15,379
Doris Stahl Junior High	Public	6-10	9610 168th St E	Puyallup	98375	Pierce County	Puyallup School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 840-8881	846	38	22.1	45.9%	365 (43.1%)	70 (8.3%)	180 (21.3%)	67 (7.9%)	4 (0.5%)	31 (3.7%)	124 (14.7%)	57.4	203^rd of 534 public middle schools	62.0%		55	217^th of 535 public middle schools	59.4%	14	44.8	44.8		58.7	53.1	56.0		44.9	39.0	42.1	$15,842	$1,002	$14,840
Ferrucci Junior High	Public	7-9	3213 Wildwood Pk Dr	Puyallup	98374	Pierce County	Puyallup School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 841-8756	815	38	21.4	50.3%	403 (49.4%)	38 (4.7%)	179 (22.0%)	53 (6.5%)	13 (1.6%)	26 (3.2%)	99 (12.1%)	54.8	219^th of 534 public middle schools	59.0%		53.7	229^th of 535 public middle schools	57.2%	10	48.2	48.2		56.9	53.4	55.2		46.0	29.7	38.0	$16,684	$705	$15,979
Glacier View Junior High	Public	7-9	12807 184th St E	Puyallup	98374	Pierce County	Puyallup School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 435-6827	843	39	21.8	45.2%	392 (46.5%)	81 (9.6%)	154 (18.3%)	69 (8.2%)	10 (1.2%)	18 (2.1%)	118 (14.0%)	51	237^th of 534 public middle schools	55.6%		51.3	238^th of 535 public middle schools	55.5%	1	45.3	45.3		51.6	52.6	52.1		42.0	34.5	38.1	$15,833	$623	$15,210
Kalles Junior High	Public	7-9	501 7th Ave SE	Puyallup	98372	Pierce County	Puyallup School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 841-8729	762	33	22.9	40.2%	400 (52.5%)	32 (4.2%)	130 (17.1%)	78 (10.2%)	6 (0.8%)	19 (2.5%)	92 (12.1%)	72	125^th of 534 public middle schools	76.6%		68.1	150^th of 535 public middle schools	72.0%	25	52.3	52.3		66.0	58.2	62.1		56.3	43.9	50.2	$16,092	$613	$15,479
Orting Middle School	Public	6-8	111 Whitehawk Blvd NW	Orting	98360	Pierce County	Orting School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 893-3565	643	30	21.2	40.0%	414 (64.4%)	18 (2.8%)	113 (17.6%)	19 (3.0%)	6 (0.9%)	8 (1.2%)	65 (10.1%)	32.7	355^th of 534 public middle schools	33.5%		28.8	378^th of 535 public middle schools	29.3%	23	42.1	42.1	49.5	42.4	38.8	43.5	25.8	24.5	30.5	26.9	$16,941	$736	$16,205
Aylen Junior High	Public	7-9	101 15th St SW	Puyallup	98371	Pierce County	Puyallup School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 841-8723	720	32	22.7	43.9%	374 (51.9%)	28 (3.9%)	146 (20.3%)	30 (4.2%)	15 (2.1%)	18 (2.5%)	108 (15.0%)	52.8	227^th of 534 public middle schools	57.5%		49.3	254^th of 535 public middle schools	52.5%	27	44.4	44.4		49.3	57.9	53.6		38.3	40.4	39.3	$16,074	$652	$15,422
Liberty Middle School	Public	6-8	7319 Eustis-Hunt Rd E	Spanaway	98387	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 800-6500	857	41	21.1	54.0%	306 (35.7%)	97 (11.3%)	186 (21.7%)	53 (6.2%)	7 (0.8%)	52 (6.1%)	154 (18.0%)	33.4	351^st of 534 public middle schools	34.3%		41.5	300^th of 535 public middle schools	43.9%	51	26.7	26.7	41.5	47.3	47.7	45.5	29.8	33.2	30.1	31.0	$16,330	$1,035	$15,295
Sumner Middle School	Public	6-8	1508 Willow	Sumner	98390	Pierce County	Sumner-Bonney Lake School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 891-5000	674	35	19.0	43.6%	370 (54.9%)	8 (1.2%)	168 (24.9%)	34 (5.0%)	4 (0.6%)	12 (1.8%)	78 (11.6%)	83.9	75^th of 534 public middle schools	86.0%		78.8	94^th of 535 public middle schools	82.4%	19	54.2	54.2	61.7	74.2	71.2	69.3	57.8	60.6	59.2	59.3	$17,590	$482	$17,108
Frontier Middle School	Public	6-8	22110 108th Avenue East	Graham	98338	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 800-8300	620	30	20.8	49.0%	346 (55.8%)	29 (4.7%)	104 (16.8%)	21 (3.4%)	10 (1.6%)	16 (2.6%)	94 (15.2%)	41.4	296^th of 534 public middle schools	44.6%		44	284^th of 535 public middle schools	46.9%	12	38.7	38.7	37.8	46.5	54.5	46.4	33.3	37.1	36.3	35.5	$17,266	$1,265	$16,001

Frequently Asked Questions about Ballou Junior High

How many students attend Ballou Junior High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 852 students attended Ballou Junior High.

What is the racial makeup of Ballou Junior High?

Students at Ballou Junior High are 45% White, 20% Hispanic, 15% Two or more races, 9% African American, 6% Asian, 4% Pacific Islander, 1% American Indian.

What high school do graduates of Ballou Junior High attend?

Students who attend Ballou Junior High usually go on to attend Gov John Rogers High School

What district is Ballou Junior High in?

Puyallup School District

Is Ballou Junior High a good school?

Ballou Junior High ranks 225^th of 534 Washington middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

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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.