Best High Schools in Zip Code 98003

This analysis examines six high schools serving grades 9-12 in zip code 98003, all part of the Federal Way School District in Washington state, which include traditional, alternative, and specialized programs for over 3,300 students.

Among the traditional high schools, Federal Way High School is the largest and has the strongest English scores and highest graduation rate, while Todd Beamer High School shows higher science proficiency. Both maintain graduation rates above the state average. In contrast, the smaller, specialized Career Academy at Truman High School has the highest per-student spending and lowest student-teacher ratio, while alternative programs like Open Doors Youth Reengagement (1418) serve at-risk students with very different outcomes.

The most pressing concern across all schools is math proficiency, which is critically low and far below state averages. Despite this academic challenge, the traditional high schools successfully graduate students at high rates. The wide variation in per-student spending and student-teacher ratios between schools, such as the high-resource Career Academy compared to the much larger comprehensive schools, highlights the different educational models and resource allocations within the district.