Best Public Schools in Zip Code 98409

This analysis covers seven public schools in Tacoma's 98409 zip code, serving grades K-12, all operating within a district ranked in the state's lower third, where the majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Among the elementary schools, Edison Elementary School stands out as the top performer with the strongest test scores and lowest student-teacher ratio. In contrast, Gray Middle School ranks very low statewide, and math proficiency is a critical weakness across all grade levels, with every school scoring below the state average. The largest school, Mount Tahoma High School, maintains a graduation rate above the state average despite its academic challenges.

The most concerning case is Oakland High School, which has an extremely low graduation rate and a very high dropout rate despite having the highest per-student spending in the area. The data shows a troubling pattern where higher spending does not correlate with better outcomes, and student performance remains consistently below state standards throughout their academic journey in the Tacoma School District.