Is Options High School a good school?

Options High School ranks in the bottom 11.9% of Washington high schools.

How many students attend Options High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 188 students attended Options High School.

What is the racial makeup of Options High School?

Students at Options High School are 68% White, 14% Hispanic, 6% Not Specified, 6% Two or more races, 3% American Indian, 2% African American, 1% Pacific Islander.

Options High School

Summary:

Options High School is a public high school in Bellingham, Washington, serving 188 students in grades 9-12. While part of the Bellingham School District, which is ranked 86 out of 247 districts in the state, Options High School has consistently struggled, ranking in the bottom half of Washington high schools and earning a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

The school faces significant challenges, including low graduation rates ranging from 44.9% to 67.2% and high dropout rates from 10.9% to 28.5%. Academically, Options High School students perform well below district and state averages, with only 50% proficient or better in English Language Arts and 16.67% in Math. However, the school stands out in its support for special education and low-income students, ranking in the top 20% and 30% of Washington high schools, respectively, for these subgroups. Compared to nearby Sehome High School and Bellingham High School, which are also part of the Bellingham School District, Options High School significantly underperforms.

The high percentage of diverse racial backgrounds and low-income students at Options High School may be contributing factors to the school's overall academic challenges. However, the school's specialized programs and approaches that cater to the needs of special education and low-income students suggest potential opportunities for collaboration and sharing of best practices with nearby high-performing schools, which could benefit the students at Options High School.

Detail:

Public 9-12

2015 Franklin St
Bellingham, WA 98225-4220

(360) 647-6871

District: Bellingham School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
385^th of 437 Washington High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $24,904

Student/teacher ratio: 9.1

Number of students: 188

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.6%

Hispanic:

14.4%

Not Specified:

6.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 55.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Options High School ranks worse than 88.1% of high schools in Washington. It also ranks last among 4 ranked high schools in the Bellingham School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 15.98. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Options High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (67.6%), Hispanic (14.4%), two or more races (5.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 55.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Options High School is 9.1, which is the lowest among 6 high schools in the Bellingham School District! (See more...)

Compare Options High School employs 20.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Options High School is $24,904, which is the highest among 6 high schools in the Bellingham School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Options High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Options High School 385^th of 437 Washington public high schools. (See Options High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male 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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Rank History for Options High School

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Rank History for all students at Options High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	18.56	327^th	390	16.2%
2005	36.41	284^th	394	27.9%
2006	24.59	320^th	395	19.0%
2007	46.63	252^nd	399	36.8%
2008	39.37	278^th	396	29.8%
2009	21.62	330^th	402	17.9%
2010	37.61	294^th	423	30.5%
2011	40.82	270^th	440	38.6%
2012	31.82	327^th	450	27.3%
2013	25.13	363^rd	454	20.0%
2016	18.88	273^rd	306	10.8%
2017	34.42	221^st	301	26.6%
2019	24.34	330^th	417	20.9%
2021	42.68	249^th	455	45.3%
2022	32.05	306^th	434	29.5%
2023	17.65	386^th	442	12.7%
2024	15.98	385^th	437	11.9%

See the entire list of Washington High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Options High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	77.31	20^th	128	84.4%
2021	66.65	34^th	212	84.0%
2022	80.62	17^th	130	86.9%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Options High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	27.77	269^th	344	21.8%
2021	57.39	128^th	392	67.3%
2022	40.60	223^rd	370	39.7%
2024	20.81	307^th	356	13.8%

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

Rank History for Female students at Options High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	28.94	272^nd	358	24.0%
2021	45.64	198^th	390	49.2%
2022	23.06	299^th	368	18.8%
2023	31.05	251^st	357	29.7%
2024	24.02	278^th	347	19.9%

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

Rank History for Male students at Options High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	25.07	282^nd	355	20.6%
2021	60.18	128^th	395	67.6%
2022	45.55	195^th	363	46.3%
2023	13.77	327^th	358	8.7%
2024	16.75	317^th	362	12.4%

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

Rank History for White students at Options High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	24.19	320^th	382	16.2%
2021	38.43	256^th	413	38.0%
2022	31.72	285^th	390	26.9%
2023	16.05	334^th	379	11.9%
2024	9.63	353^rd	374	5.6%

See the entire list of Best Washington High 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 Options High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1995	79	0	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	83
1996	79	0	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	83
1997	74	0	3	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	84
1998	97	3	2	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	110
1999	89	3	5	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	106
2000	84	3	3	11	6	n/a	n/a	0	107
2001	88	4	1	7	6	n/a	n/a	0	106
2002	87	1	1	9	5	n/a	n/a	0	103
2003	87	1	1	9	5	n/a	n/a	0	103
2004	100	0	0	13	8	n/a	n/a	0	121
2005	97	0	2	2	4	n/a	n/a	3	108
2006	76	2	0	5	3	n/a	n/a	3	89
2007	88	3	2	7	5	n/a	n/a	5	110
2008	88	3	4	7	9	n/a	n/a	5	116
2009	73	3	1	13	9	n/a	n/a	4	103
2010	86	2	4	15	8	n/a	n/a	0	115
2011	60	3	1	21	1	1	0	0	87
2012	71	5	1	21	1	1	0	0	100
2013	75	3	2	24	0	0	11	0	115
2014	60	4	2	18	1	0	7	0	92
2015	59	2	0	19	4	0	12	0	96
2016	68	3	0	19	1	0	18	0	109
2017	66	4	0	18	2	0	14	0	104
2018	104	5	2	26	5	1	14	0	157
2019	124	5	1	29	7	1	15	0	182
2020	147	3	2	34	7	1	11	0	205
2021	127	1	3	28	8	0	15	3	185
2022	124	4	2	29	6	1	13	4	183
2023	127	3	0	27	6	2	11	12	188

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 Options High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	83	3.0	27.7	n/a
1996	83	3.0	27.7	n/a
1997	84	3.0	28.0	n/a
1998	110	4.4	25.0	n/a
1999	106	4.6	23.0	n/a
2000	107	4.8	22.3	n/a
2001	106	4.4	24.1	n/a
2002	103	5.5	18.7	33
2003	103	5.5	18.7	33
2004	121	6.0	20.2	38.8
2005	108	5.5	19.6	3.8
2006	89	5.5	16.2	8.1
2007	110	5.0	22.0	56.2
2008	116	5.8	20.0	59.5
2009	103	5.8	17.8	59.6
2010	115	5.8	19.8	54.8
2011	87	5.0	17.4	35.6
2012	100	4.4	22.7	66
2013	115	4.6	25.0	65.2
2014	92	n/a	n/a	75
2015	96	6.0	16.0	65.6
2016	109	6.0	18.1	66.1
2017	104	6.8	15.1	65.4
2018	157	11.7	13.3	58
2019	182	14.3	12.6	63.7
2020	205	14.6	14.0	62
2021	185	16.1	11.4	55.7
2022	183	18.1	10.1	55.2
2023	188	20.5	9.1	55.9

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 Options High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	83	3.0	27.7	n/a
1996	83	3.0	27.7	n/a
1997	84	3.0	28.0	n/a
1998	110	4.4	25.0	n/a
1999	106	4.6	23.0	n/a
2000	107	4.8	22.3	n/a
2001	106	4.4	24.1	n/a
2002	103	5.5	18.7	33
2003	103	5.5	18.7	33
2004	121	6.0	20.2	38.8
2005	108	5.5	19.6	3.8
2006	89	5.5	16.2	8.1
2007	110	5.0	22.0	56.2
2008	116	5.8	20.0	59.5
2009	103	5.8	17.8	59.6
2010	115	5.8	19.8	54.8
2011	87	5.0	17.4	35.6
2012	100	4.4	22.7	66
2013	115	4.6	25.0	65.2
2014	92	n/a	n/a	75
2015	96	6.0	16.0	65.6
2016	109	6.0	18.1	66.1
2017	104	6.8	15.1	65.4
2018	157	11.7	13.3	58
2019	182	14.3	12.6	63.7
2020	205	14.6	14.0	62
2021	185	16.1	11.4	55.7
2022	183	18.1	10.1	55.2
2023	188	20.5	9.1	55.9

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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