Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 98512

ZIP code 98512 has two public middle schools serving grades 6–8: George Bush Middle School and Tumwater Middle School, both part of the Tumwater School District. Together, they enroll 1,427 students and serve a broadly similar student population in the Tumwater area. The district ranks 61st among 238 Washington districts, placing it around the 74th percentile statewide and earning a four-star rating.

George Bush Middle School currently has the stronger overall profile. It ranks 149th out of 514 Washington middle schools, has four stars, and has improved steadily from 177th two years earlier. It leads in all-school mathematics, 43.11% compared with 40.81% at Tumwater Middle School, and in science, 55.26% compared with 52.63%. George Bush also has a lower student–teacher ratio, 18.0 versus 19.5. Its science performance is especially encouraging after rising nearly 10 percentage points year over year. However, its mathematics results vary by grade, with stronger sixth- and seventh-grade scores but weaker eighth-grade performance.

Tumwater Middle School is the stronger choice for English Language Arts, leading overall at 58.36% compared with 56.83% at George Bush Middle School. Tumwater’s seventh-grade ELA result, 64.40%, is the highest subject-grade score reported, and it also leads in sixth-grade ELA and eighth-grade math. Its latest ranking, however, fell to 159th, and its rating declined from four stars to three after year-over-year decreases in ELA, math, and science. For families prioritizing literacy, Tumwater is compelling; for broader current achievement, science, mathematics, and positive momentum, George Bush has the edge. Both schools would benefit from continued attention to mathematics, particularly Tumwater’s sixth grade and George Bush’s eighth grade.