Best Public Schools in Gig Harbor, WA

Summary:

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.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				WCAS Science (2024)				SBAC English Language Arts (2024)								SBAC Math (2024)								% Completely Immunized (2024)	% Polio (2024)	% Measles (2024)	% Mumps (2024)	% Rubella (2024)	% Diphtheria (2024)	% Hepatitis B (2024)	% Varicella (2024)	% Pertussis (2024)	% Tetanus (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	WCAS Science 5th Grade	WCAS Science 8th Grade	WCAS Science 11th Grade	WCAS Science All Grades	SBAC English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 4th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 10th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts All Grades	SBAC Math 3rd Grade	SBAC Math 4th Grade	SBAC Math 5th Grade	SBAC Math 6th Grade	SBAC Math 7th Grade	SBAC Math 8th Grade	SBAC Math 10th Grade	SBAC Math All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Measles KG	% Mumps KG	% Rubella KG	% Diphtheria KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% Pertussis KG	% Tetanus KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Artondale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6219 40th Street NW	Gig Harbor	98335	Pierce County	Peninsula School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 530-1100	402	24	16.8	20.1%	322 (80.1%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (7.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (11.9%)	77.3	249^th of 1168 public elementary schools	78.7%		88.3	129^th of 1169 public elementary schools	89.0%	120	67.2			67.2	69.2	76.8	62.5					69.7	66.7	68.1	43.8					59.2	94.1	96.1	98.0	98.0	98.0	94.1	96.1	96.1	94.1	94.1	$17,920	$689	$17,231
Discovery Elementary School	Public	K-5	4905 Rosedale St NW	Gig Harbor	98335	Pierce County	Peninsula School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 530-1200	316	22	14.6	21.8%	247 (78.2%)	3 (0.9%)	35 (11.1%)	6 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.9%)	89.3	120^th of 1168 public elementary schools	89.7%		80.6	215^th of 1169 public elementary schools	81.6%	95	87.5			87.5	61.8	73.1	82.1					72.5	70.9	70.2	75.0					71.9	92.9	95.2	97.6	97.6	97.6	95.2	95.2	95.2	95.2	95.2	$19,263	$2,646	$16,618
Goodman Middle School	Public	6-8	3701 38th Ave NW	Gig Harbor	98335	Pierce County	Peninsula School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 530-1600	459	25	18.0	20.0%	336 (73.2%)	4 (0.9%)	64 (13.9%)	8 (1.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (9.2%)	80.3	89^th of 535 public middle schools	83.4%		78.6	98^th of 539 public middle schools	81.8%	9		64.6		64.6				66.1	66.3	73.1		68.1				46.8	50.9	45.3		47.9											$17,246	$262	$16,984
Harbor Heights Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4002 36th St NW	Gig Harbor	98335	Pierce County	Peninsula School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 530-1800	433	26	16.4	19.9%	295 (68.1%)	3 (0.7%)	61 (14.1%)	12 (2.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (13.9%)	88.4	126^th of 1168 public elementary schools	89.2%		87.3	139^th of 1169 public elementary schools	88.1%	13	69.0			69.0	79.6	79.7	74.7					77.8	81.5	88.4	53.5					73.7	93.4	93.4	93.4	93.4	93.4	93.4	95.1	93.4	93.4	93.4	$18,512	$828	$17,685
Peninsula High School	Public	9-12	14105 Purdy Dr NW	Gig Harbor	98332	Pierce County	Peninsula School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 530-4400	1,372	64	21.3	28.3%	1,024 (74.6%)	13 (0.9%)	130 (9.5%)	30 (2.2%)	5 (0.4%)	4 (0.3%)	163 (11.9%)	70.2	112^th of 437 public high schools	74.4%		74.5	90^th of 442 public high schools	79.6%	22			63.2	63.2							67.7	67.7							39.4	39.4											$16,526	$376	$16,150
Purdy Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	13815 62nd Ave NW	Gig Harbor	98332	Pierce County	Peninsula School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 530-4600	484	31	15.7	21.7%	383 (79.1%)	3 (0.6%)	41 (8.5%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (10.7%)	90.4	107^th of 1168 public elementary schools	90.8%		84.1	176^th of 1169 public elementary schools	84.9%	69	77.3			77.3	75.0	79.8	73.2					76.1	76.2	76.0	65.0					72.2	90.6	90.6	93.8	93.8	93.8	90.6	93.8	90.6	90.6	90.6	$18,964	$1,072	$17,892
Gig Harbor High	Public	9-12	5101 Rosedale St NW	Gig Harbor	98335	Pierce County	Peninsula School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 530-1400	1,435	59	24.3	14.8%	1,112 (77.5%)	15 (1.0%)	136 (9.5%)	23 (1.6%)	3 (0.2%)	3 (0.2%)	137 (9.5%)	73.1	89^th of 437 public high schools	79.6%		61.1	155^th of 442 public high schools	64.9%	66			49.2	49.2							79.0	79.0							48.1	48.1											$15,353	$269	$15,083
Kopachuck Middle School	Public	6-8	10414 56th St NW	Gig Harbor	98335	Pierce County	Peninsula School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 530-4100	462	23	20.3	17.5%	359 (77.7%)	1 (0.2%)	43 (9.3%)	7 (1.5%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	48 (10.4%)	91.2	49^th of 535 public middle schools	90.8%		89.3	50^th of 539 public middle schools	90.7%	1		62.3		62.3				70.2	73.3	77.1		73.3				59.7	65.0	64.5		62.9											$16,286	$515	$15,770
Minter Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	12617 118th Ave NW	Gig Harbor	98329	Pierce County	Peninsula School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 530-4300	270	19	14.2	36.3%	215 (79.6%)	4 (1.5%)	16 (5.9%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (11.9%)	63.7	399^th of 1168 public elementary schools	65.8%		40.1	688^th of 1169 public elementary schools	41.1%	289	63.5			63.5	63.8	48.9	57.7					56.9	66.0	51.1	44.2					53.4	82.5	87.5	90.0	90.0	90.0	85.0	90.0	87.5	85.0	85.0	$19,537	$3,366	$16,172
Voyager Elementary	Public	K-5	10615 Kopachuck Dr NW	Gig Harbor	98335	Pierce County	Peninsula School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 530-4800	457	29	15.8	12.7%	356 (77.9%)	3 (0.7%)	34 (7.4%)	18 (3.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	44 (9.6%)	86.4	150^th of 1168 public elementary schools	87.2%		84.1	175^th of 1169 public elementary schools	85.0%	25	86.4			86.4	62.2	72.6	81.3					72.3	62.2	65.5	74.1					67.4	90.2	91.8	93.4	93.4	93.4	90.2	93.4	93.4	90.2	90.2	$17,151	$1,369	$15,782
Harbor Ridge Middle School	Public	6-8	9010 Prentice Ave	Gig Harbor	98332	Pierce County	Peninsula School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 530-1900	596	30	20.0	18.6%	441 (74.0%)	8 (1.3%)	69 (11.6%)	18 (3.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (9.7%)	79	93^rd of 535 public middle schools	82.6%		73.9	123^rd of 539 public middle schools	77.2%	30		61.2		61.2				63.0	69.8	60.7		64.8				54.2	53.8	42.1		50.3											$15,209	$186	$15,023
Henderson Bay Alt High School	Public, Virtual	9-12	14015 62nd Ave NW	Gig Harbor	98332	Pierce County	Peninsula School District	No	No	Yes	No	(253) 530-1700	110	12	9.1	51.8%	73 (66.4%)	1 (0.9%)	15 (13.6%)	1 (0.9%)	2 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (15.5%)	38.3	274^th of 437 public high schools	37.3%		15.4	396^th of 442 public high schools	10.4%	122			21.2	21.2							70.8	70.8																			$60,620	$35,366	$25,254
Pioneer Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	8402 Skansie Ave	Gig Harbor	98332	Pierce County	Peninsula School District	No	Yes	No	No	(253) 530-3500	506	29	17.5	13.4%	395 (78.1%)	2 (0.4%)	39 (7.7%)	16 (3.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (10.5%)	74.3	279^th of 1168 public elementary schools	76.1%		81.4	206^th of 1169 public elementary schools	82.4%	73	71.2			71.2	56.8	63.8	65.2					61.7	69.9	67.5	42.4					61.1	95.0	98.8	97.5	97.5	97.5	98.8	100.0	95.0	98.8	98.8	$16,658	$386	$16,272
Swift Water Elementary	Public	K-5	10811 Harbor Hill Drive	Gig Harbor	98332	Pierce County	Peninsula School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 530-4900	473	28	16.6	14.8%	338 (71.5%)	4 (0.8%)	42 (8.9%)	23 (4.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	63 (13.3%)	84.5	168^th of 1168 public elementary schools	85.6%		87	144^th of 1169 public elementary schools	87.7%	24	79.8			79.8	61.5	67.5	82.5					70.6	57.7	68.8	77.2					67.9	92.0	93.0	93.0	93.0	93.0	93.0	96.0	93.0	93.0	93.0	$16,914	$652	$16,262

Cities Near Gig Harbor

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Vaughn	3.33 mi	1	43^rd
Lakebay	5.02 mi	2	129^th
Port Orchard	5.43 mi	18	117^th
Belfair	6.58 mi	7	251^st
Tacoma	9.91 mi	104	190^th

See the top WA Washington cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.