Best Public Schools in Gig Harbor, WA

The Gig Harbor, Washington area is home to 14 schools in the Peninsula School District, which includes 8 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, 3 high schools, and 1 alternative high school. The district is highly ranked, placing 24th out of 247 districts in Washington and earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Several schools stand out in the district, including Purdy Elementary School, which ranks 107th out of 1,168 elementary schools in the state and has a 5-star rating. Purdy boasts impressive proficiency rates in English Language Arts (76.07%) and Math (72.24%), significantly outperforming the district and state averages. Similarly, Harbor Heights Elementary School and Kopachuck Middle School rank highly and have strong proficiency rates. At the high school level, Gig Harbor High School stands out with a 94.2% 4-year graduation rate and low 3.5% dropout rate.

While the district overall performs well, there is significant variation in academic achievement between individual schools. Schools with higher rates of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, such as Minter Creek Elementary and Henderson Bay Alt High School, tend to have lower proficiency rates. Additionally, the racial makeup of the schools is predominantly white, which may suggest potential equity concerns. Overall, the Gig Harbor schools in the Peninsula School District demonstrate a mix of high-performing and lower-performing schools, highlighting the importance of examining individual school performance and addressing equity issues to ensure all students have access to a quality education.