Is James Sales Elementary a good school?

James Sales Elementary ranks 434 th of 1168 Washington elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend James Sales Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 377 students attended James Sales Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of James Sales Elementary?

Students at James Sales Elementary are 34% Hispanic, 27% White, 14% Two or more races, 11% African American, 9% Pacific Islander, 5% Asian.

What schools do graduates of James Sales Elementary attend?

Students who attend James Sales Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Perry G Keithley Middle School High : Washington High School

James Sales Elementary

Summary:

James Sales Elementary is a public elementary school in Tacoma, Washington, serving students from kindergarten to 5th grade. This school stands out for its consistently strong academic performance, outpacing both the Franklin Pierce School District and the state of Washington in proficiency across subjects like English Language Arts, math, and science.

In the 2023-2024 school year, 54.4% of all students at James Sales Elementary were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 37.75% for the Franklin Pierce School District and 52.63% for the state. In math, 56.35% of all students at James Sales Elementary were proficient or better, compared to just 24.21% for the Franklin Pierce School District and 41.68% for the state. The school's performance is particularly noteworthy among its Hispanic and low socioeconomic status (SES) student subgroups, with the Hispanic students ranking 28th out of 651 Washington elementary schools in English Language Arts proficiency and the low-SES students ranking 114th out of 1,024.

Compared to other nearby schools in the Franklin Pierce School District, such as Brookdale Elementary, James Sales Elementary consistently outperforms its peers in academic proficiency across all subjects and grade levels. This is particularly impressive given the school's socioeconomic challenges, with over 70% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in recent years. While the school's funding has fluctuated, its steady improvement in statewide rankings and SchoolDigger ratings, from a 1-star in 2020-2021 to a 3-star in the current 2023-2024 school year, is a testament to the school's dedication and effectiveness.

Detail:

Public K-5

1301 113th Street S
Tacoma, WA 98444

(253) 298-4205

District: Franklin Pierce School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
434^th of 1,168 Washington Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,996

Students who attend James Sales Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Perry G Keithley Middle School
High:	Washington High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.8

Number of students: 377

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

34.0%

White:

26.5%

Two or more races:

14.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 71.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details James Sales Elementary ranks better than 62.8% of elementary schools in Washington. It also ranks first among 8 ranked elementary schools in the Franklin Pierce School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 60.97. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at James Sales Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (34%), White (26.5%), two or more races (14.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 71.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at James Sales Elementary is 14.8, which is the 5^th best among 8 elementary schools in the Franklin Pierce School District. (See more...)

Compare James Sales Elementary employs 25.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at James Sales Elementary is $19,996, which is the 5^th highest among 8 elementary schools in the Franklin Pierce School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

James Sales Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks James Sales Elementary 434^th of 1168 Washington public elementary schools. (See James Sales Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Franklin Pierce School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Franklin Pierce School District 205^th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for James Sales Elementary

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Rank History for all students at James Sales Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	28.46	782^nd	1026	23.8%
2005	57.25	447^th	1031	56.6%
2006	20.61	909^th	1051	13.5%
2007	15.35	968^th	1069	9.4%
2008	19.78	919^th	1067	13.9%
2009	32.69	784^th	1072	26.9%
2010	24.15	900^th	1088	17.3%
2011	39.12	721^st	1092	34.0%
2012	53.52	543^rd	1097	50.5%
2013	46.55	649^th	1106	41.3%
2015	33.07	757^th	1067	29.1%
2016	40.99	649^th	1053	38.4%
2017	37.40	684^th	1056	35.2%
2018	43.08	603^rd	1054	42.8%
2019	51.38	566^th	1130	49.9%
2021	18.59	908^th	1107	18.0%
2022	43.74	632^nd	1169	45.9%
2023	47.90	581^st	1169	50.3%
2024	60.97	434^th	1168	62.8%

See the entire list of Washington Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at James Sales Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	51.73	103^rd	212	51.4%
2019	57.97	133^rd	303	56.1%
2021	39.94	69^th	128	46.1%
2022	63.28	98^th	252	61.1%
2023	27.48	153^rd	194	21.1%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at James Sales Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	30.80	461^st	637	27.6%
2019	36.97	333^rd	566	41.2%
2024	51.12	161^st	339	52.5%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at James Sales Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	74.27	151^st	979	84.6%
2021	34.41	580^th	854	32.1%
2022	60.70	316^th	1019	69.0%
2023	71.78	216^th	1013	78.7%
2024	79.80	114^th	1024	88.9%

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

Rank History for Female students at James Sales Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	41.95	608^th	1004	39.4%
2019	42.99	645^th	1068	39.6%
2021	17.54	879^th	1008	12.8%
2022	43.87	589^th	1100	46.5%
2023	48.54	541^st	1094	50.5%
2024	63.82	352^nd	1093	67.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at James Sales Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	45.17	543^rd	999	45.6%
2019	59.96	422^nd	1075	60.7%
2021	18.56	863^rd	1025	15.8%
2022	42.77	605^th	1113	45.6%
2023	44.40	583^rd	1099	47.0%
2024	56.55	458^th	1099	58.3%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at James Sales Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	57.84	202^nd	540	62.6%
2019	64.74	200^th	697	71.3%
2021	39.93	273^rd	501	45.5%
2022	56.50	241^st	694	65.3%
2023	70.37	129^th	633	79.6%
2024	88.11	28^th	651	95.7%

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

Rank History for White students at James Sales Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	29.74	623^rd	833	25.2%
2019	69.02	319^th	1027	68.9%
2022	34.23	714^th	1031	30.7%
2023	56.52	430^th	1011	57.5%
2024	58.05	407^th	1009	59.7%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary 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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4.5)

50%

Reviews:

by a citizen
Tuesday, March 2, 2021

It was a very great school back in the middle 70,s Close Quote

by a parent on FaceBook
Friday, February 13, 2009

The teachers really want to be there working with the students. Much of the leadership works hard for parent involvement. They offer many evening activities such as movie night and farmers markets. This is my first experience as a parent with public schools and so far I am very impressed. Close Quote

Enrollment information for James Sales Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	317	53	10	18	7	n/a	n/a	0	405
1989	343	55	22	27	10	n/a	n/a	0	457
1990	329	42	22	21	19	n/a	n/a	0	433
1991	330	41	29	15	6	n/a	n/a	0	421
1992	305	47	32	23	3	n/a	n/a	0	410
1993	344	50	36	22	6	n/a	n/a	0	458
1994	324	51	40	20	5	n/a	n/a	0	440
1995	336	69	46	21	6	n/a	n/a	0	478
1996	336	69	46	21	6	n/a	n/a	0	478
1997	379	65	59	20	6	n/a	n/a	0	529
1998	305	66	42	29	2	n/a	n/a	0	444
1999	298	96	51	40	14	n/a	n/a	0	499
2000	276	104	52	46	11	n/a	n/a	0	489
2001	290	93	47	45	12	n/a	n/a	0	487
2002	193	100	62	50	10	n/a	n/a	0	415
2003	193	100	62	50	10	n/a	n/a	0	415
2004	171	79	52	40	6	n/a	n/a	0	348
2005	171	96	46	46	7	n/a	n/a	7	373
2006	156	97	32	58	5	n/a	n/a	13	361
2007	150	78	48	68	8	n/a	n/a	25	377
2008	146	80	63	70	6	n/a	n/a	34	399
2009	147	88	56	74	8	n/a	n/a	56	429
2010	128	66	42	81	7	n/a	n/a	58	382
2011	125	63	10	115	2	32	42	0	389
2012	130	50	5	135	2	30	46	0	398
2013	130	48	9	140	3	21	56	0	407
2014	136	44	7	136	6	27	70	0	426
2015	136	47	11	151	6	28	79	0	458
2016	130	45	14	151	6	31	83	0	460
2017	136	55	12	157	4	31	83	0	478
2018	128	53	10	143	7	29	84	0	454
2019	131	55	14	141	7	22	78	0	448
2020	109	45	15	126	5	27	81	0	408
2021	103	41	15	117	7	31	67	0	381
2022	90	41	19	129	4	25	73	0	381
2023	96	42	21	133	4	30	73	2	401
2024	100	43	17	128	3	33	53	0	377

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 James Sales Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	405	18.0	22.5	0
1989	457	19.0	24.0	n/a
1990	433	21.0	20.6	0
1991	421	20.6	20.4	n/a
1992	410	23.0	17.8	n/a
1993	458	22.0	20.8	n/a
1994	440	23.0	19.1	n/a
1995	478	22.0	21.7	n/a
1996	478	22.0	21.7	n/a
1997	529	24.0	22.0	n/a
1998	444	22.0	20.2	n/a
1999	499	23.5	21.2	n/a
2000	489	24.5	20.0	n/a
2001	487	26.5	18.4	n/a
2002	415	26.5	15.7	58.3
2003	415	26.5	15.7	58.3
2004	348	21.0	16.6	59.2
2005	373	21.0	17.8	62.6
2006	361	21.0	17.2	67.2
2007	377	21.0	18.0	73
2008	399	21.0	19.0	83
2009	429	21.0	20.4	84.5
2010	382	24.0	15.9	96.6
2011	389	23.9	16.2	96.9
2012	398	23.0	17.3	98.2
2013	407	23.5	17.3	99.3
2014	426	n/a	n/a	98.6
2015	458	31.0	14.7	79.3
2016	460	28.0	16.4	77.6
2017	478	27.5	17.3	84.7
2018	454	28.0	16.2	70.3
2019	448	27.0	16.5	89.7
2020	408	26.0	15.6	87
2021	381	26.0	14.6	75.1
2022	381	25.0	15.2	64.8
2023	401	25.8	15.4	70.6
2024	377	25.3	14.8	71.6

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 James Sales Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	405	18.0	22.5	0
1989	457	19.0	24.0	n/a
1990	433	21.0	20.6	0
1991	421	20.6	20.4	n/a
1992	410	23.0	17.8	n/a
1993	458	22.0	20.8	n/a
1994	440	23.0	19.1	n/a
1995	478	22.0	21.7	n/a
1996	478	22.0	21.7	n/a
1997	529	24.0	22.0	n/a
1998	444	22.0	20.2	n/a
1999	499	23.5	21.2	n/a
2000	489	24.5	20.0	n/a
2001	487	26.5	18.4	n/a
2002	415	26.5	15.7	58.3
2003	415	26.5	15.7	58.3
2004	348	21.0	16.6	59.2
2005	373	21.0	17.8	62.6
2006	361	21.0	17.2	67.2
2007	377	21.0	18.0	73
2008	399	21.0	19.0	83
2009	429	21.0	20.4	84.5
2010	382	24.0	15.9	96.6
2011	389	23.9	16.2	96.9
2012	398	23.0	17.3	98.2
2013	407	23.5	17.3	99.3
2014	426	n/a	n/a	98.6
2015	458	31.0	14.7	79.3
2016	460	28.0	16.4	77.6
2017	478	27.5	17.3	84.7
2018	454	28.0	16.2	70.3
2019	448	27.0	16.5	89.7
2020	408	26.0	15.6	87
2021	381	26.0	14.6	75.1
2022	381	25.0	15.2	64.8
2023	401	25.8	15.4	70.6
2024	377	25.3	14.8	71.6

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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