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Ballou Junior High

Q: Is Ballou Junior High a good school?

Ballou Junior High ranks 215 th of 514 Washington middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-9

215^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 514 Washington Middle Schools

Better than 58% of Washington middle schools

Summary

Ballou Junior High is a public school in the Puyallup area serving 852 students in grades 7–9. It is part of the Puyallup School District, which ranks around the 70th percentile statewide. Ballou ranks 215th of 514 Washington middle schools, placing it near the middle statewide and among its local peers. The school has a 21.9-to-1 student-teacher ratio, and 49.41% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate somewhat higher than at most nearby Puyallup junior highs.

Ballou’s academic results are mixed by subject. English language arts proficiency was 54.73% in 2025–26, nearly matching the district and exceeding the state rate. That was the second-highest ELA result among the six Puyallup junior highs listed, behind Kalles Junior High. Science is another relative strength: Ballou’s 54.09% proficiency rate was above the state level and close to the district average, although Kalles performed better. Mathematics is the clearest concern. Ballou’s 32.39% proficiency rate was below both district and state levels and lower than every nearby comparison school, including Doris Stahl Junior High, Ferrucci Junior High, and Glacier View Junior High.

The school’s statewide ranking has recovered from the 38th percentile in 2020–21 to about the 58th percentile today, but it remains below its 2015–18 standing. Science improved sharply in the latest year, while ELA declined from recent highs, especially in 7th grade. Both 7th- and 8th-grade mathematics results remain weak, making math the most urgent schoolwide improvement priority. Ballou’s low-income student subgroup ranking is comparatively strong, but its special education subgroup ranking is very low, suggesting that families may want to ask about specialized academic supports, particularly in math. Staffing and spending are broadly typical for nearby schools.

852

Students ?

21.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,706

Per pupil spending ?

49.4%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

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 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 58th (2026) 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

!Math scores 11 pts below the Washington average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school46%

District avg50%

Washington avg48%

215^th of 514

Washington public middle schools ?

Top 42%▼ down 17 pts since 2016

From top 25% (2016) to top 42% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Washington Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

71^st of 238Puyallup 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	53.9	215 of 514	58.2%	★★★☆☆
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
2026	77.6	13 of 100	87.0%	★★★★☆
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
2026	34.7	78 of 114	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
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
2026	49.4	52 of 143	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.7	37 of 135	72.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	55.7	179 of 443	59.6%	★★★☆☆
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
2026	55.6	133 of 347	61.7%	★★★☆☆
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
2026	64.9	137 of 453	69.8%	★★★★☆
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
2026	50.2	205 of 454	54.8%	★★★☆☆
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
2026	55.4	93 of 222	58.1%	★★★☆☆
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
2026	14.8	216 of 226	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
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
2026	53.4	202 of 453	55.4%	★★★☆☆
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

African American (2026)87th percentile+29 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)70th percentile+12 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)64th percentile+5 vs school

Hispanic (2026)62nd percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)60th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2026)58th percentile~ school

White (2026)55th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)55th percentile-3 vs school

Asian (2026)32nd percentile-27 vs school

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

Special Education (2026)4th percentile-54 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts55%~ state avg

Science54%+3 vs state

Math32%-11 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

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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 (2025)
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 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%)	53.9	215^th of 514 public middle schools	58.2%		53.5	225^th of 534 public middle schools	57.9%	10	54.1	54.1		51.7	57.8	54.7		33.2	31.8	32.4	$16,706	$310	$16,397
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%)	57.6	193^rd of 514 public middle schools	62.5%		57.4	203^rd of 534 public middle schools	62.0%	10	49.5	49.5		60.8	48.9	54.7		43.1	34.7	38.8	$16,155	$489	$15,666
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%)	53	218^th of 514 public middle schools	57.6%		54.8	219^th of 534 public middle schools	59.0%	1	49.2	49.2		54.1	44.4	49.4		44.8	34.2	39.6	$17,280	$460	$16,820
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%)	52.5	220^th of 514 public middle schools	57.2%		51	237^th of 534 public middle schools	55.6%	17	41.2	41.2		54.8	51.6	53.2		44.0	33.7	38.9	$16,337	$277	$16,061
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%)	77.5	105^th of 514 public middle schools	79.6%		72	125^th of 534 public middle schools	76.6%	20	60.4	60.4		68.4	59.8	64.1		51.6	45.7	48.6	$17,043	$81	$16,962
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%)	40.2	290^th of 514 public middle schools	43.6%		32.7	355^th of 534 public middle schools	33.5%	65	38.8	38.8	43.0	50.9	41.4	45.2	35.2	33.2	30.6	33.1	$17,358	$260	$17,098
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%)	48.8	235^th of 514 public middle schools	54.3%		52.8	227^th of 534 public middle schools	57.5%	8	43.2	43.2		48.2	50.2	49.2		41.3	34.6	38.0	$16,558	$308	$16,250
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%)	45.2	268^th of 514 public middle schools	47.9%		33.4	351^st of 534 public middle schools	34.3%	83	45.6	45.6	44.4	50.7	51.5	48.8	29.5	34.8	31.4	31.9	$16,676	$155	$16,521
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%)	84.6	72^nd of 514 public middle schools	86.0%		83.9	75^th of 534 public middle schools	86.0%	3	56.1	56.1	71.0	71.1	68.9	70.3	59.7	48.8	56.3	55.1	$19,317	$497	$18,821
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%)	45.7	263^rd of 514 public middle schools	48.8%		41.4	296^th of 534 public middle schools	44.6%	33	44.7	44.7	54.3	49.7	40.6	48.5	33.2	37.6	29.6	33.5	$18,235	$391	$17,844

Frequently Asked Questions about Ballou Junior High

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

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.

Is Ballou Junior High a good school?

Ballou Junior High ranks 215^th of 514 Washington middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Ballou Junior High!

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Latest Washington data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataNewNov 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2025–26 SBAC & WCAS test scoresSep 10, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 8, 2026

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.