Summary:
ZIP code 98409 has 10 schools serving elementary, middle, and high school students: four elementary schools, two middle schools, and four high schools, with about 4,083 students overall. Nine schools belong to Tacoma School District, while Insight School of WA Open Doors Program belongs to Quillayute Valley School District. The area includes both traditional and online options, and school results vary considerably.
Among elementary schools, Tacoma Online Elementary School reports the highest current proficiency, with 78.57% of students proficient in English language arts and 71.43% in math. Because it enrolls only 144 students and had a sharp year-over-year increase, these results should be viewed cautiously. Among traditional schools, Edison Elementary School is the strongest choice based on achievement and improving rankings. Arlington Elementary School has shown some recent improvement, while Manitou Park Elementary School has the lowest elementary ELA and math results. At the middle-school level, Tacoma Online Middle School has the better historical rankings, while Gray Middle School has very low current proficiency and ranks near the bottom statewide.
For high schools, Mount Tahoma High School has the highest graduation rate at 86.3%, above the state average but below the district rate. Tacoma Online High School also exceeds the state graduation rate, though its dropout rate is relatively high. Oakland Secondary School is the greatest concern, with a 52% graduation rate and a historically high dropout rate. Across the area, math is the most consistent academic weakness, especially at traditional elementary, middle, and high schools. Many schools also report high participation in free or reduced-price lunch programs, indicating substantial economic need. Suppressed results should be treated as unavailable rather than as failing scores.
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