Fife School District

5802 20th St E
Tacoma, WA 98424-2000
(District boundaries shown in map)
4/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Fife School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Washington for:

Category
Attribute
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 7 public schools serving 3,916 students in Fife School District. This district's average testing ranking is 4/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public schools in Washington.
Public Schools in Fife School District have an average math proficiency score of 31% (versus the Washington public school average of 40%), and reading proficiency score of 47% (versus the 53% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 63% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the Washington public school average of 52% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (WA)
# Schools
7 Schools
2,566 Schools
# Students
3,916 Students
1,102,146 Students
# Teachers
215 Teachers
62,276 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
18:1
18:1

District Rank

Fife School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 306 school districts in Washington (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 88% has increased from 86% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (WA)
#187 out of 307 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
This chart displays the overall district rank of Fife   School District, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
31%
40%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Fife   School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Washington by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
47%
53%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Fife   School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Washington by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
43%
49%
88%
84%
This chart displays public school graduation rate of Fife   School District and public school graduation rate of Washington by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.

Students by Ethnicity:

0.78
0.69
# American Indian Students
32 Students
14,078 Students
% American Indian Students
1%
1%
# Asian Students
375 Students
97,776 Students
% Asian Students
10%
9%
# Hispanic Students
911 Students
284,937 Students
% Hispanic Students
23%
26%
# Black Students
273 Students
52,279 Students
% Black Students
7%
5%
# White Students
1,468 Students
529,041 Students
% White Students
38%
48%
# Hawaiian Students
310 Students
15,944 Students
% Hawaiian Students
8%
2%
# Two or more races Students
518 Students
97,439 Students
% of Two or more races Students
13%
9%

Students by Grade:

# Students in PK Grade:
34
24,937
# Students in K Grade:
261
76,570
# Students in 1st Grade:
285
77,991
# Students in 2nd Grade:
285
81,918
# Students in 3rd Grade:
292
78,358
# Students in 4th Grade:
319
81,181
# Students in 5th Grade:
288
81,842
# Students in 6th Grade:
319
80,681
# Students in 7th Grade:
348
81,501
# Students in 8th Grade:
298
82,250
# Students in 9th Grade:
304
86,778
# Students in 10th Grade:
269
88,758
# Students in 11th Grade:
297
87,587
# Students in 12th Grade:
317
91,794
# Ungraded Students:
-
-

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $20,930 is higher than the state median of $18,796. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $31,753 is higher than the state median of $19,246. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (WA)
Total Revenue
$82 MM
$20,715 MM
This chart displays total revenue of Fife   School District and median value from total revenues of all school districts in Washington by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending
$124 MM
$21,212 MM
This chart displays total spending of Fife   School District and median value from total spendings of all school districts in Washington by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Revenue / Student
$20,930
$18,796
This chart displays average revenue per public school student in Fife   School District and average revenue per public school student of all school districts in Washington by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending / Student
$31,753
$19,246
This chart displays average spending per public school student in Fife   School District and average spending per public school student of all school districts in Washington by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.

Best Fife School District Public Schools (2025)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Fife High School
(Math: 35% | Reading: 76%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
5616 20th St E
Tacoma, WA 98424
(253) 517-1100
Grades: 10-12
| 864 students
Rank: #22.
Hedden Elementary School
(Math: 47% | Reading: 47%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
11313 8th St E
Puyallup, WA 98372
(253) 517-1500
Grades: 3-5
| 475 students
Rank: #33.
Fife Elementary School
(Math: 32% | Reading: 37%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
5804 20th Street E
Tacoma, WA 98424
(253) 517-1400
Grades: K-5
| 816 students
Rank: #44.
Columbia Junior High School
(Math: 23% | Reading: 47%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
2901 54th Avenue E
Tacoma, WA 98424
(253) 517-1600
Grades: 8-9
| 602 students
Rank: #55.
Surprise Lake Middle School
(Math: 21% | Reading: 38%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
2001 Milton Way
Milton, WA 98354
(253) 517-1300
Grades: 6-7
| 667 students
Rank: n/an/a
1205 19th Avenue
Milton, WA 98354
(253) 517-1200
Grades: PK-2
| 473 students
Rank: n/an/a
Fife Open Doors
Alternative School
5802 20th Street East
Tacoma, WA 98424
(253) 517-1000
Grades: 10-12
| 19 students

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools belong to Fife School District?
Fife School District manages 7 public schools serving 3,916 students.
What is the rank of Fife School District?
Fife School District is ranked #189 out of 306 school districts in Washington (bottom 50%) based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data for the 2021-2022 school year. This district ranks in the top 20% of Washington school districts for: Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
What is the racial composition of students in Fife School District?
38% of Fife School District students are White, 23% of students are Hispanic, 13% of students are Two or more races, 10% of students are Asian, 8% of students are Hawaiian, 7% of students are Black, and 1% of students are American Indian.
What is the student/teacher ratio of Fife School District?
Fife School District has a student/teacher ratio of 18:1, which is equal to the Washington state average of 18:1.
What is Fife School District's spending/student ratio?
The school district's spending/student of $31,753 is higher than the state median of $19,246. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.

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Quick Stats (2025)

  • District size: 7 schools
  • Grades: 01-12
  • Enrollment: 3,916 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 18:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 63%
  • : 88% (Top 30% in WA)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 31% (Btm 50%)
  • : 47% (Btm 50%)
  • : 43% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), WA Dept. of Education

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