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White River High School

Q: Is White River High School a good school?

White River High School ranks 159 th of 438 Washington high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

159^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 438 Washington High Schools

Better than 64% of Washington high schools

Summary

White River High School is a public high school serving approximately 1,340 students in grades 9-12 in Buckley, WA, as part of the highly-regarded White River School District.

The school's greatest strength is its exceptional commitment to student success, boasting a 96.9% graduation rate and a very low 1.5% dropout rate—both figures are the best among all nearby high schools. It also performs very well in English Language Arts, outperforming several neighbors. However, the school faces clear challenges in mathematics and science, where proficiency rates lag behind the state average and other area schools like Bonney Lake High School and Puyallup High School. While the district ranks in the state's top 15%, the high school itself ranks in the 64th percentile, indicating a performance gap not seen in some neighboring districts.

Compared to schools like Enumclaw Senior High School, White River operates with notably lower per-student spending while achieving better graduation outcomes, suggesting efficient resource use. Parents should note the school has seen a historical decline in its statewide ranking over the past decade. Performance varies significantly among different student groups, with some subgroups performing very well while others, such as special education students, face considerable challenges, highlighting areas where targeted support may be needed.

1,340

Students ?

22.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,520

Per pupil spending ?

31.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

26928 120th St E
Buckley, WA 98321

(360) 829-3352

District: White River School District

Feeder schools for White River High School:

Elementary:	Elk Ridge Elementary
	Foothills Elementary
	Mountain Meadow Elementary
	Wilkeson Elementary School
Middle:	Glacier Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.6%

Hispanic:

13.7%

Two or more races:

6.1%

See top rated Washington high schools

Compare White River High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 69th percentile in 2012 → 64th in 2025

Strengths

✓97% graduate in 4 years — above the Washington average (83%)

✓Above the Washington median (64th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 5 percentile points since 2012

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

!Math scores 11 pts below the Washington average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school52%

District avg56%

Washington avg48%

159^th of 438

Washington public high schools ?

Top 36%▼ down 30 pts since 2015

From top 6% (2015) to top 36% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Washington High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

33^rd of 247White River 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	59.2	159 of 438	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.3	141 of 437	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.8	171 of 442	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.2	139 of 434	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.8	129 of 455	71.6%	★★★★☆
2019	65.9	130 of 417	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.3	138 of 315	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	88.2	22 of 341	93.5%	★★★★★
2013	60.0	184 of 454	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	63.5	141 of 450	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	58.3	156 of 440	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2010	62.4	178 of 423	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	47.4	244 of 402	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	54.1	217 of 396	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2007	53.0	222 of 399	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2006	57.5	193 of 395	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2005	56.4	194 of 394	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2004	43.2	249 of 390	36.2%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	51.5	152 of 350	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.8	116 of 347	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.0	197 of 357	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	61.0	136 of 368	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.4	103 of 390	73.6%	★★★★☆
2019	62.6	124 of 358	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.3	132 of 243	45.7%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	65.2	76 of 249	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.0	66 of 248	73.4%	★★★★☆
2023	52.0	106 of 249	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.6	64 of 261	75.5%	★★★★☆
2021	58.2	95 of 278	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.5	118 of 241	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.6	33 of 156	78.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	52.8	155 of 355	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.5	100 of 356	71.9%	★★★★☆
2023	43.8	201 of 362	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	67.2	92 of 370	75.1%	★★★★☆
2021	56.6	132 of 392	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.8	164 of 344	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.3	146 of 227	35.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	61.5	127 of 359	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.2	133 of 362	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.2	121 of 358	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.1	133 of 363	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.7	124 of 395	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.8	107 of 355	69.9%	★★★★☆
2018	57.6	113 of 254	55.5%	★★★☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2021	94.3	2 of 47	95.7%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	29.3	130 of 170	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	43.1	92 of 161	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.9	81 of 166	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.2	48 of 179	73.2%	★★★★☆
2021	53.9	79 of 195	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.2	80 of 163	50.9%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	15.7	119 of 127	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	33.1	71 of 110	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.4	69 of 130	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.0	98 of 212	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	44.4	69 of 128	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	15.7	133 of 139	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	48.2	186 of 373	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.4	173 of 374	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.1	217 of 379	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	52.8	183 of 390	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.7	169 of 413	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.2	156 of 382	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.6	149 of 222	32.9%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Military Connected (2021)96th percentile+24 vs school

Hispanic (2025)69th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2025)65th percentile~ school

Female (2025)57th percentile-7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)56th percentile-7 vs school

White (2025)50th percentile-14 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)24th percentile-40 vs school

Special Education (2025)6th percentile-57 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts76%+23 vs state

Science49%~ state avg

Math32%-11 vs state

5.0

2 ratings

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4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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Schools Near White River High 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 11th Grade	WCAS Science All Grades	SBAC English Language Arts 10th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts All Grades	SBAC Math 10th Grade	SBAC Math All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
White River High School	Public	9-12	26928 120th St E	Buckley	98321	Pierce County	White River School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 829-3352	1,340	59	22.7	31.3%	1,026 (76.6%)	13 (1.0%)	184 (13.7%)	21 (1.6%)	8 (0.6%)	3 (0.2%)	82 (6.1%)	59.2	159^th of 438 public high schools	63.7%		63.3	141^st of 437 public high schools	67.7%	18	48.7	48.7	76.1	76.1	32.0	32.0	$15,520	$263	$15,256
White River Reengagement Program	Public	9-12	26928 120th St E	Buckley	98321	Pierce County	White River School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 829-0600	40	0		65.0%	28 (70.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (10.0%)	2 (5.0%)	1 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (12.5%)								(n/a)							$4,351	$131	$4,221
Enumclaw Senior High School	Public	9-12	226 Semanski St South	Enumclaw	98022	King County	Enumclaw School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 802-7688	1,333	63	21.2	31.6%	953 (71.5%)	9 (0.7%)	258 (19.4%)	20 (1.5%)	12 (0.9%)	4 (0.3%)	72 (5.4%)	47.9	214^th of 438 public high schools	51.1%		50.9	210^th of 437 public high schools	51.9%	4	44.3	44.3	67.3	67.3	28.3	28.3	$18,057	$696	$17,361
Bonney Lake High School	Public	9-12	10920 199th Ave Ct E	Bonney Lake	98391	Pierce County	Sumner-Bonney Lake School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 891-5700	1,643	80	20.4	33.5%	1,035 (63.0%)	50 (3.0%)	257 (15.6%)	87 (5.3%)	18 (1.1%)	15 (0.9%)	179 (10.9%)	75.9	80^th of 438 public high schools	81.7%		70.5	110^th of 437 public high schools	74.8%	30	49.2	49.2	83.0	83.0	53.4	53.4	$16,558	$394	$16,165
Orting High School	Public	9-12	320 Washington Avenue North	Orting	98360	Pierce County	Orting School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 893-2246	876	41	21.3	36.9%	566 (64.6%)	22 (2.5%)	154 (17.6%)	21 (2.4%)	8 (0.9%)	10 (1.1%)	95 (10.8%)	46.6	222^nd of 438 public high schools	49.3%		38.1	276^th of 437 public high schools	36.8%	54	49.0	49.0	61.4	61.4	27.5	27.5	$16,046	$598	$15,447
Sumner High School	Public	9-12	1707 Main St	Sumner	98390	Pierce County	Sumner-Bonney Lake School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 891-5500	1,857	82	22.5	34.8%	1,172 (63.1%)	37 (2.0%)	338 (18.2%)	76 (4.1%)	14 (0.8%)	13 (0.7%)	206 (11.1%)	66.6	122^nd of 438 public high schools	72.1%		73.6	88^th of 437 public high schools	79.9%	34	48.7	48.7	78.7	78.7	40.1	40.1	$15,738	$247	$15,491
Emerald Ridge High School	Public	10-12	12405 184th St E	Puyallup	98374	Pierce County	Puyallup School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 435-6300	1,599	65	24.4	43.7%	730 (45.7%)	144 (9.0%)	337 (21.1%)	107 (6.7%)	21 (1.3%)	47 (2.9%)	198 (12.4%)	64.2	135^th of 438 public high schools	69.2%		64	132^nd of 437 public high schools	69.8%	3	59.5	59.5	74.7	74.7	29.6	29.6	$15,368	$606	$14,762
E B Walker High School	Public	8-12	5715 Milwaukee Ave E	Puyallup	98372	Pierce County	Puyallup School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 841-8781	120	10	11.7	63.3%	73 (60.8%)	1 (0.8%)	26 (21.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)	2 (1.7%)	13 (10.8%)								(n/a)							$22,014	$170	$21,844
Auburn Riverside High School	Public	9-12	501 Oravetz Rd SE	Auburn	98092	King County	Auburn School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 804-5154	1,852	85	21.9	48.9%	590 (31.9%)	110 (5.9%)	646 (34.9%)	260 (14.0%)	15 (0.8%)	61 (3.3%)	170 (9.2%)	46.6	223^rd of 438 public high schools	49.1%		43.1	253^rd of 437 public high schools	42.1%	30	54.0	54.0	59.5	59.5	24.4	24.4	$15,734	$345	$15,389
Puyallup High School	Public	10-12	105 Seventh St SW	Puyallup	98371	Pierce County	Puyallup School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 841-8711	1,815	74	24.4	40.4%	919 (50.6%)	93 (5.1%)	352 (19.4%)	150 (8.3%)	17 (0.9%)	42 (2.3%)	221 (12.2%)	70.7	104^th of 438 public high schools	76.3%		71.3	103^rd of 437 public high schools	76.4%	1	63.6	63.6	74.8	74.8	34.5	34.5	$15,162	$469	$14,693

Frequently Asked Questions about White River High School

What schools feed into White River High School?

White River High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Elk Ridge Elementary
Elementary : Foothills Elementary
Elementary : Mountain Meadow Elementary
Elementary : Wilkeson Elementary School
Middle : Glacier Middle School

How many students attend White River High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,340 students attended White River High School.

What is the racial makeup of White River High School?

Students at White River High School are 77% White, 14% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Is White River High School a good school?

White River High School ranks 159^th of 438 Washington high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is White River High School in?

White River School District

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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.