Summary:
ZIP code 98023 has one middle school, Lakota Middle School, serving grades 6–8 in Federal Way and enrolling about 645 students.
Lakota is an improving school with recent gains in all three reported subjects. In 2025–2026, 44.33% of students were proficient in English language arts, 29.43% in math, and 47.75% in science. These results were higher than averages for the Federal Way School District by 6.00, 2.32, and 15.33 percentage points, respectively. Science is the clearest strength: performance increased nearly 16 points from the prior year and was only about 3 points below the Washington average. ELA also shows a positive pattern, rising from 38.97% proficiency in sixth grade to 47.75% in eighth grade. The school’s ranking improved from the 24th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 43rd percentile in 2025–2026, and its rating increased from one star to two stars.
Math is the main area parents may want to monitor. Although math proficiency improved by more than four points year over year, Lakota’s 29.43% result remained about 14 points below the state average. Seventh-grade math was particularly challenging, with 23.04% proficiency compared with 41.31% statewide; eighth-grade performance rebounded to 33.71%. Lakota’s 19.7:1 student-teacher ratio and 71.16% free- or reduced-price lunch rate provide important context about staffing and student-support needs. Overall, the school is performing above its district in every reported subject and appears to be moving in a positive direction, while continued attention to math—especially in seventh grade—would be valuable.
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