Squalicum High School

Summary:

Squalicum High School is a public high school in Bellingham, Washington, serving 1,280 students in grades 9-12. While the school has a diverse student population, with higher percentages of Hispanic (24.3%) and Asian (9.06%) students compared to nearby schools, it has faced challenges in maintaining consistent academic performance and addressing achievement gaps.

Squalicum High School's statewide ranking has fluctuated over the years, ranging from 62nd out of 301 high schools in 2016-2017 to 256th out of 455 high schools in 2020-2021. Its four-year graduation rate has ranged from 79.2% to 87.4% over the past five years, lower than the nearby Sehome High School (87.9%) and Bellingham High School (84.3%). Additionally, Squalicum High School's dropout rate has been higher than the nearby schools, ranging from 4.4% to 13.1% over the past five years.

Proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Math, and Science at Squalicum High School are generally lower than the Bellingham School District and Washington state averages, particularly for Hispanic and Asian student subgroups. The school also has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (44.84%) compared to Sehome High School (25.28%) and Bellingham High School (34.32%), suggesting a need for targeted interventions and support programs to address the unique needs of these student populations.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 3773 E McLeod Rd
       Bellingham, WA  98226-7728


(360) 676-6471

District: Bellingham School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
226th of 437 Washington High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $19,037 Help


Feeder schools for Squalicum High School:

Elementary:    Alderwood Elementary School
    Cordata Elementary School
    Northern Heights Elementary School
    Silver Beach Elementary School
Middle:    Shuksan Middle School
    Whatcom Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  19.7 Help
Number of students:  1,280

Racial breakdown:

White:
55.5%
Hispanic:
24.3%
Asian:
9.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  44.8% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Squalicum High School ranks worse than 51.7% of high schools in Washington. It also ranks 3rd among 4 ranked high schools in the Bellingham School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 46.15. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Squalicum High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Squalicum High School has the largest high school student body size in the Bellingham School District. Racial makeup is: White (55.5%), Hispanic (24.3%), Asian (9.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 44.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Squalicum High School is 19.7, which is the 2nd best among 4 high schools in the Bellingham School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Squalicum High School employs 64.8 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Squalicum High School is $19,037, which is the 2nd highest among 4 high schools in the Bellingham School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Squalicum High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Squalicum High School 226th of 437 Washington public high schools. (See Squalicum High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Bellingham School District:

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

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Squalicum High School

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Rank History for all students at Squalicum High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 69.03 112th 390 71.3%
2005 67.81 129th 394 67.3%
2006 61.85 159th 395 59.7%
2007 68.58 121st 399 69.7%
2008 62.51 157th 396 60.4%
2009 57.65 201st 402 50.0%
2010 57.81 204th 423 51.8%
2011 55.37 181st 440 58.9%
2012 64.95 120th 450 73.3%
2013 64.61 153rd 454 66.3%
2015 16.85 306th 341 10.3%
2016 51.24 175th 306 42.8%
2017 75.60 62nd 301 79.4%
2018 57.44 150th 315 52.4%
2019 57.50 168th 417 59.7%
2021 41.76 256th 455 43.7%
2022 57.88 172nd 434 60.4%
2023 44.92 242nd 442 45.2%
2024 46.15 226th 437 48.3%
See the entire list of Washington High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Squalicum High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 44.05 89th 163 45.4%
2021 43.66 102nd 195 47.7%
2022 60.49 69th 179 61.5%
2023 52.09 73rd 166 56.0%
2024 53.49 63rd 161 60.9%
See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Squalicum High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 31.24 48th 65 26.2%
2021 64.72 24th 102 76.5%
2023 19.95 35th 44 20.5%
See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Squalicum High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 34.87 94th 139 32.4%
2019 54.94 44th 128 65.6%
2021 52.77 74th 212 65.1%
2022 20.35 116th 130 10.8%
See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Special Education Students!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 39.87 162nd 227 28.6%
2019 37.32 235th 344 31.7%
2021 31.09 287th 392 26.8%
2022 35.07 246th 370 33.5%
2023 36.09 235th 362 35.1%
2024 35.53 242nd 356 32.0%
See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Squalicum High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 40.64 25th 43 41.9%
2023 55.65 6th 19 68.4%
See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Squalicum High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 55.96 124th 243 49.0%
2019 60.54 132nd 358 63.1%
2021 41.88 218th 390 44.1%
2022 51.47 171st 368 53.5%
2023 37.92 223rd 357 37.5%
2024 37.88 223rd 347 35.7%
See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Squalicum High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 51.72 133rd 254 47.6%
2019 52.61 162nd 355 54.4%
2021 39.55 237th 395 40.0%
2022 59.29 145th 363 60.1%
2023 43.28 205th 358 42.7%
2024 46.06 195th 362 46.1%
See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Squalicum High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 38.00 60th 87 31.0%
2019 51.08 59th 121 51.2%
2021 29.26 98th 136 27.9%
2022 39.60 79th 124 36.3%
2023 14.02 107th 118 9.3%
2024 25.20 87th 113 23.0%
See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Squalicum High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 52.08 73rd 156 53.2%
2019 42.49 129th 241 46.5%
2021 33.90 179th 278 35.6%
2022 31.42 187th 261 28.4%
2023 26.75 188th 249 24.5%
2024 25.79 199th 248 19.8%
See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Squalicum High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 50.07 122nd 222 45.0%
2019 53.44 170th 382 55.5%
2021 38.72 254th 413 38.5%
2022 57.42 161st 390 58.7%
2023 45.25 212th 379 44.1%
2024 48.13 188th 374 49.7%
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.

Squalicum High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4.5)
50%

50%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Friday, November 20, 2015

Open Quote I have had 2 of my 4 boys graduate Squalicum High School. One is currently a Junior there. We have been very happy at Squalicum and feel it is a good school! Close Quote



Enrollment information for Squalicum High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1999 1393 24 112 86 32 n/a n/a 0 1647
2000 1394 26 108 72 32 n/a n/a 0 1632
2001 1088 21 87 62 29 n/a n/a 0 1287
2002 1025 19 83 71 18 n/a n/a 0 1216
2003 1025 19 83 71 18 n/a n/a 0 1216
2004 1016 17 95 86 23 n/a n/a 0 1237
2005 1023 25 112 107 23 n/a n/a 1 1291
2006 985 23 123 110 20 n/a n/a 8 1269
2007 946 27 145 131 26 n/a n/a 17 1292
2008 931 29 143 139 24 n/a n/a 18 1284
2009 880 37 130 147 27 n/a n/a 33 1254
2010 960 35 143 177 28 n/a n/a 0 1343
2011 991 39 106 203 15 3 0 0 1357
2012 931 38 126 224 18 4 0 0 1341
2013 888 10 131 226 19 4 71 0 1349
2014 862 10 126 241 20 5 80 0 1344
2015 868 19 131 243 19 11 84 0 1375
2016 841 17 133 275 22 10 94 0 1392
2017 813 25 135 266 13 5 109 0 1366
2018 767 22 148 263 16 5 96 0 1317
2019 732 21 139 252 14 2 95 0 1255
2020 746 17 138 253 13 1 103 4 1275
2021 748 18 136 258 13 2 110 6 1291
2022 711 22 117 283 9 1 110 14 1267
2023 711 14 116 311 8 1 103 16 1280

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 Squalicum High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1999 1647 72.0 22.9 n/a
2000 1632 72.7 22.4 n/a
2001 1287 54.6 23.6 n/a
2002 1216 55.2 22.0 21.3
2003 1216 55.2 22.0 21.3
2004 1237 57.0 21.7 26.1
2005 1291 57.4 22.5 27
2006 1269 59.3 21.4 28.3
2007 1292 59.8 21.6 29.6
2008 1284 61.1 21.0 30.3
2009 1254 61.1 20.5 34.7
2010 1343 57.2 23.4 33.3
2011 1357 61.0 22.2 30.1
2012 1341 59.6 22.5 40.9
2013 1349 57.9 23.2 41.4
2014 1344 n/a n/a 40
2015 1375 58.0 23.7 40.4
2016 1392 59.0 23.5 43.8
2017 1366 61.1 22.3 43.3
2018 1317 64.2 20.5 40.7
2019 1255 63.2 19.8 36.4
2020 1275 62.5 20.3 35.4
2021 1291 62.4 20.6 34.4
2022 1267 63.0 20.0 34.3
2023 1280 64.8 19.7 44.8

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 Squalicum High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1999 1647 72.0 22.9 n/a
2000 1632 72.7 22.4 n/a
2001 1287 54.6 23.6 n/a
2002 1216 55.2 22.0 21.3
2003 1216 55.2 22.0 21.3
2004 1237 57.0 21.7 26.1
2005 1291 57.4 22.5 27
2006 1269 59.3 21.4 28.3
2007 1292 59.8 21.6 29.6
2008 1284 61.1 21.0 30.3
2009 1254 61.1 20.5 34.7
2010 1343 57.2 23.4 33.3
2011 1357 61.0 22.2 30.1
2012 1341 59.6 22.5 40.9
2013 1349 57.9 23.2 41.4
2014 1344 n/a n/a 40
2015 1375 58.0 23.7 40.4
2016 1392 59.0 23.5 43.8
2017 1366 61.1 22.3 43.3
2018 1317 64.2 20.5 40.7
2019 1255 63.2 19.8 36.4
2020 1275 62.5 20.3 35.4
2021 1291 62.4 20.6 34.4
2022 1267 63.0 20.0 34.3
2023 1280 64.8 19.7 44.8

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.

Immunization Rates

Squalicum High School

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Compare
YearCompletely ImmunizedReligious ExemptionMedical ExemptionPersonal ExemptionPolioDiphtheriaHepatitis BVaricellaMMRPertussis
201990.2%0.3%1.3%6.2%96.8%95.9%95.7%95.7%96.6%96.7%

Data source: Washington State Department of Health
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Squalicum High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $441 (3.3%) $12,984 (96.7%) $13,426
2020 $437 (4.2%) $9,852 (95.8%) $10,288
2021 $330 (1.9%) $17,480 (98.1%) $17,810
2022 $756 (4.0%) $18,282 (96.0%) $19,037

Data source: Washington Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Squalicum High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 168th of 417 High schoolsRanks 242nd of 442 High schools
 14.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
10th Grade English Language Arts (Squalicum High School)7758.4
 18.6%
   10th Grade English Language Arts (Bellingham School District)8468.1
 15.9%
   10th Grade English Language Arts (Washington)72.865.9
 6.9%
10th Grade Math (Squalicum High School)37.232.6
 4.7%
   10th Grade Math (Bellingham School District)42.436.3
 6.1%
   10th Grade Math (Washington)42.433.3
 9.1%
11th Grade Science (Squalicum High School)5344.8
 8.3%
   11th Grade Science (Bellingham School District)65.964.1
 1.8%
   11th Grade Science (Washington)5050.5
 0.5%
All Grades English Language Arts (Squalicum High School)7758.4
 18.6%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Bellingham School District)63.755.8
 7.9%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Washington)6152.9
 8.1%
All Grades Math (Squalicum High School)37.232.6
 4.7%
   All Grades Math (Bellingham School District)46.945
 1.9%
   All Grades Math (Washington)50.141
 9%
All Grades Science (Squalicum High School)5344.8
 8.3%
   All Grades Science (Bellingham School District)60.459.2
 1.2%
   All Grades Science (Washington)52.748.8
 4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students12551280
 2%
African American2114
 33.3%
American Indian148
 42.9%
Asian139116
 16.5%
Hispanic252311
 23.4%
Pacific Islander21
 50%
White732711
 2.9%
Two or More Races95103
 8.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients36.4%44.8%
 8.4%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Squalicum High School

Squalicum High School ranks 226th of 437 Washington high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,280 students attended Squalicum High School.

Students at Squalicum High School are 56% White, 24% Hispanic, 9% Asian, 8% Two or more races, 1% Not Specified, 1% African American.


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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.





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