Is Fairhaven Middle School a good school?

Fairhaven Middle School ranks 65 th of 535 Washington middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Fairhaven Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 597 students attended Fairhaven Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Fairhaven Middle School?

Students at Fairhaven Middle School are 68% White, 15% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 5% Asian, 2% African American.

What high school do graduates of Fairhaven Middle School attend?

Students who attend Fairhaven Middle School usually go on to attend Sehome High School

Fairhaven Middle School

Summary:

Fairhaven Middle School is a public middle school in Bellingham, Washington, serving 597 students in grades 6-8. This school stands out as a high-performing institution, consistently outpacing the Bellingham School District and the state of Washington in academic assessments.

Fairhaven Middle School's academic excellence is evident in its strong performance across various metrics. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school had 66.97% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 56.23% for the district and 52.63% for the state. In math, Fairhaven had 57.71% proficiency, outpacing the district's 44.64% and the state's 41.68%. The school's statewide ranking places it in the top 15% of Washington middle schools, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. Fairhaven's exceptional performance extends to diverse student subgroups, including White students, multi-racial students, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

While Fairhaven Middle School stands out, the Bellingham area is home to other high-performing middle schools, such as Kulshan Middle School and Whatcom Middle School, which also demonstrate strong academic outcomes and statewide recognition. This suggests a commitment to quality education across the region, providing families with multiple excellent options for their children's middle school experience.

Detail:

Public 6-8

110 Park Ridge Rd
Bellingham, WA 98225-7907

(360) 676-6450

District: Bellingham School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
65^th of 535 Washington Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,164

Students who attend Fairhaven Middle School usually attend:

High:

Sehome High School

Feeder schools for Fairhaven Middle School:

Elementary:	Happy Valley Elementary School
	Lowell Elementary School
	Wade King Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.9

Number of students: 597

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.2%

Hispanic:

14.7%

Two or more races:

7.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 37%

See top rated Washington middle schools

Compare Fairhaven Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Fairhaven Middle School ranks better than 87.9% of middle schools in Washington. It also ranks 2^nd among 4 ranked middle schools in the Bellingham School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 86.53. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (68.2%), Hispanic (14.7%), two or more races (7.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 37% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Fairhaven Middle School is 16.9, which is the highest among 4 middle schools in the Bellingham School District! (See more...)

Compare Fairhaven Middle School employs 35.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Fairhaven Middle School is $18,164. 2 middle schools in the Bellingham School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Fairhaven Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Fairhaven Middle School 65^th of 535 Washington public middle schools. (See Fairhaven Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Bellingham School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Bellingham School District 86^th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Fairhaven Middle School?

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Rank History for Fairhaven Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Fairhaven Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	90.69	30^th	421	92.9%
2005	91.18	26^th	425	93.9%
2006	91.31	20^th	449	95.5%
2007	85.98	41^st	463	91.1%
2008	86.17	38^th	466	91.8%
2009	89.15	26^th	476	94.5%
2010	85.18	42^nd	483	91.3%
2011	85.43	44^th	492	91.1%
2012	87.87	31^st	497	93.8%
2013	85.04	45^th	498	91.0%
2015	92.20	22^nd	445	95.1%
2016	93.70	17^th	443	96.2%
2017	89.72	33^rd	435	92.4%
2018	88.13	49^th	437	88.8%
2019	77.79	98^th	512	80.9%
2021	71.22	132^nd	529	75.0%
2022	75.06	118^th	541	78.2%
2023	81.64	84^th	539	84.4%
2024	86.53	65^th	535	87.9%

See the entire list of Washington Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Fairhaven Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	68.06	55^th	166	66.9%
2019	72.66	60^th	246	75.6%
2021	50.22	118^th	250	52.8%
2022	54.89	101^st	257	60.7%
2023	82.96	28^th	244	88.5%
2024	81.88	38^th	243	84.4%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Fairhaven Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	50.62	95^th	268	64.6%
2019	50.11	78^th	231	66.2%
2021	37.67	122^nd	210	41.9%
2022	51.57	67^th	199	66.3%
2023	45.77	82^nd	167	50.9%
2024	71.71	33^rd	179	81.6%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Fairhaven Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	41.19	273^rd	448	39.1%
2021	40.54	267^th	458	41.7%
2022	55.20	162^nd	475	65.9%
2023	72.50	83^rd	463	82.1%
2024	89.57	19^th	455	95.8%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Fairhaven Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	87.59	40^th	376	89.4%
2019	75.42	91^st	452	79.9%
2021	72.01	111^th	469	76.3%
2022	74.30	104^th	479	78.3%
2023	80.59	71^st	464	84.7%
2024	85.33	60^th	464	87.1%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Fairhaven Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	90.75	33^rd	371	91.1%
2019	78.88	82^nd	453	81.9%
2021	70.47	117^th	476	75.4%
2022	73.83	112^th	480	76.7%
2023	80.47	79^th	470	83.2%
2024	86.07	59^th	466	87.3%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Fairhaven Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	62.58	45^th	123	63.4%
2019	39.17	93^rd	152	38.8%
2024	57.78	58^th	148	60.8%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Fairhaven Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	76.04	48^th	259	81.5%
2019	73.70	62^nd	344	82.0%
2021	30.65	235^th	353	33.4%
2022	27.45	266^th	360	26.1%
2023	58.42	109^th	336	67.6%
2024	66.19	85^th	344	75.3%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Fairhaven Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	85.50	43^rd	325	86.8%
2019	74.27	102^nd	470	78.3%
2021	72.43	106^th	480	77.9%
2022	77.02	91^st	488	81.4%
2023	81.10	71^st	488	85.5%
2024	89.02	41^st	486	91.6%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Fairhaven Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	486	4	18	4	7	n/a	n/a	0	519
1989	593	3	16	7	14	n/a	n/a	0	633
1990	611	4	12	7	6	n/a	n/a	0	640
1991	621	5	20	10	6	n/a	n/a	0	662
1992	642	8	22	16	15	n/a	n/a	0	703
1993	660	7	26	20	18	n/a	n/a	0	731
1994	645	12	31	19	13	n/a	n/a	0	720
1995	543	12	28	14	4	n/a	n/a	0	601
1996	543	12	28	14	4	n/a	n/a	0	601
1997	521	9	38	14	9	n/a	n/a	0	591
1998	528	8	32	13	4	n/a	n/a	0	585
1999	511	9	33	14	8	n/a	n/a	0	575
2000	514	7	28	17	9	n/a	n/a	0	575
2001	528	10	30	24	12	n/a	n/a	0	604
2002	506	12	25	19	14	n/a	n/a	0	576
2003	506	12	25	19	14	n/a	n/a	0	576
2004	494	9	29	28	12	n/a	n/a	0	572
2005	504	9	31	29	21	n/a	n/a	0	594
2006	441	13	33	34	8	n/a	n/a	2	531
2007	434	13	38	26	5	n/a	n/a	1	517
2008	416	16	38	29	8	n/a	n/a	4	511
2009	432	11	33	26	10	n/a	n/a	5	517
2010	457	13	39	29	12	n/a	n/a	0	550
2011	600	21	32	55	6	0	0	0	714
2012	450	11	24	38	4	1	0	0	528
2013	473	5	29	42	6	1	34	0	590
2014	468	7	35	45	6	1	40	0	602
2015	486	8	32	44	6	2	45	0	623
2016	452	4	38	45	5	2	44	0	590
2017	482	5	40	57	5	0	42	0	631
2018	469	8	40	60	6	0	44	0	627
2019	457	9	28	70	5	1	53	0	623
2020	451	9	28	54	5	2	46	0	595
2021	415	10	25	51	4	1	53	0	559
2022	426	13	32	72	3	4	60	8	618
2023	407	12	32	88	4	3	46	5	597

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Fairhaven Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	519	27.0	19.2	0
1989	633	31.0	20.4	n/a
1990	640	32.5	19.6	0
1991	662	32.4	20.4	n/a
1992	703	32.4	21.6	n/a
1993	731	32.5	22.5	n/a
1994	720	34.0	21.2	n/a
1995	601	27.8	21.6	n/a
1996	601	27.8	21.6	n/a
1997	591	27.8	21.3	n/a
1998	585	26.8	21.8	n/a
1999	575	25.0	23.0	n/a
2000	575	26.2	21.9	n/a
2001	604	27.8	21.7	n/a
2002	576	29.5	19.5	21.5
2003	576	29.5	19.5	21.5
2004	572	29.0	19.7	23.3
2005	594	28.7	20.7	21.5
2006	531	29.0	18.3	21.4
2007	517	25.5	20.3	19
2008	511	25.5	20.0	22.5
2009	517	25.5	20.3	24.2
2010	550	24.2	22.7	27.6
2011	714	34.6	20.5	21.8
2012	528	25.2	20.9	24.4
2013	590	26.9	21.8	23.7
2014	602	n/a	n/a	23.4
2015	623	30.0	20.7	21.8
2016	590	31.0	19.0	20.7
2017	631	32.1	19.6	19.7
2018	627	34.2	18.3	19
2019	623	33.9	18.3	22
2020	595	30.2	19.6	19.8
2021	559	31.4	17.7	20
2022	618	34.6	17.8	26.4
2023	597	35.3	16.9	37

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Fairhaven Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	519	27.0	19.2	0
1989	633	31.0	20.4	n/a
1990	640	32.5	19.6	0
1991	662	32.4	20.4	n/a
1992	703	32.4	21.6	n/a
1993	731	32.5	22.5	n/a
1994	720	34.0	21.2	n/a
1995	601	27.8	21.6	n/a
1996	601	27.8	21.6	n/a
1997	591	27.8	21.3	n/a
1998	585	26.8	21.8	n/a
1999	575	25.0	23.0	n/a
2000	575	26.2	21.9	n/a
2001	604	27.8	21.7	n/a
2002	576	29.5	19.5	21.5
2003	576	29.5	19.5	21.5
2004	572	29.0	19.7	23.3
2005	594	28.7	20.7	21.5
2006	531	29.0	18.3	21.4
2007	517	25.5	20.3	19
2008	511	25.5	20.0	22.5
2009	517	25.5	20.3	24.2
2010	550	24.2	22.7	27.6
2011	714	34.6	20.5	21.8
2012	528	25.2	20.9	24.4
2013	590	26.9	21.8	23.7
2014	602	n/a	n/a	23.4
2015	623	30.0	20.7	21.8
2016	590	31.0	19.0	20.7
2017	631	32.1	19.6	19.7
2018	627	34.2	18.3	19
2019	623	33.9	18.3	22
2020	595	30.2	19.6	19.8
2021	559	31.4	17.7	20
2022	618	34.6	17.8	26.4
2023	597	35.3	16.9	37

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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