Is Pacific Middle School a good school?

Pacific Middle School ranks in the bottom 7.5% of Washington middle schools.

How many students attend Pacific Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 651 students attended Pacific Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Pacific Middle School?

Students at Pacific Middle School are 39% Hispanic, 19% African American, 15% White, 12% Asian, 10% Two or more races, 4% Pacific Islander.

What high school do graduates of Pacific Middle School attend?

Students who attend Pacific Middle School usually go on to attend Mount Rainier High School

Pacific Middle School

Summary:

Pacific Middle School is a public middle school located in Des Moines, Washington, serving 651 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Highline School District, which is ranked 192 out of 247 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Pacific Middle School faces significant challenges, with consistently lower academic performance compared to the district and state averages. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 30.16% of Pacific Middle School students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 35.54% in the Highline School District and 52.63% statewide. The school also struggles to support certain student subgroups, ranking in the bottom 15% of Washington middle schools for Asian, African American, Hispanic, and Multi-racial students. Additionally, 80.8% of Pacific Middle School students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, significantly higher than the state average, which likely contributes to the school's academic challenges.

When compared to other middle schools in the area, Pacific Middle School consistently underperforms. For example, Sylvester Middle School, also in the Highline School District, outperforms Pacific Middle School in both English Language Arts and Math proficiency. Despite the school's challenges, Pacific Middle School has seen an increase in per-student spending, from $10,216 in 2019-2020 to $18,700 in 2021-2022, but this additional funding does not appear to have translated into significant academic improvements.

Detail:

Public 6-8

22705 24th Ave S
Des Moines, WA 98198-7195

(206) 631-5800

District: Highline School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
495^th of 535 Washington Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,700

Students who attend Pacific Middle School usually attend:

High:

Mount Rainier High School

Feeder schools for Pacific Middle School:

Elementary:	Des Moines Elementary
	Midway Elementary
	Parkside Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 21.0

Number of students: 651

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

39.0%

African American:

19.0%

White:

15.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 80.8%

See top rated Washington middle schools

Compare Pacific Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Pacific Middle School ranks worse than 92.5% of middle schools in Washington. It also ranks 3^rd among 5 ranked middle schools in the Highline School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.56. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Pacific Middle School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (39%), African American (19%), White (15.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 80.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pacific Middle School is 21. 3 middle schools in the Highline School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Pacific Middle School employs 30.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pacific Middle School is $18,700. 3 middle schools in the Highline School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Pacific Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Pacific Middle School 495^th of 535 Washington public middle schools. (See Pacific Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Highline School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Highline School District 192^nd of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Pacific Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Pacific Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	37.38	286^th	421	32.1%
2005	49.66	230^th	425	45.9%
2006	36.37	309^th	449	31.2%
2007	40.52	295^th	463	36.3%
2008	37.00	303^rd	466	35.0%
2009	50.49	237^th	476	50.2%
2010	48.08	256^th	483	47.0%
2011	56.80	208^th	492	57.7%
2012	53.57	223^rd	497	55.1%
2013	47.98	262^nd	498	47.4%
2015	40.68	253^rd	445	43.1%
2016	30.71	311^th	443	29.8%
2017	30.07	311^th	435	28.5%
2018	49.20	218^th	437	50.1%
2019	40.47	310^th	512	39.5%
2021	16.29	464^th	529	12.3%
2022	13.79	487^th	541	10.0%
2023	15.14	472^nd	539	12.4%
2024	11.56	495^th	535	7.5%

See the entire list of Washington Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Pacific Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	27.03	128^th	166	22.9%
2019	29.72	184^th	246	25.2%
2021	20.51	210^th	250	16.0%
2022	15.34	237^th	257	7.8%
2023	23.90	197^th	244	19.3%
2024	14.02	222^nd	243	8.6%

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

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Pacific Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	43.41	42^nd	100	58.0%
2021	27.44	37^th	50	26.0%
2022	21.30	53^rd	63	15.9%
2023	22.25	43^rd	57	24.6%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Pacific Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	33.24	175^th	268	34.7%
2019	22.28	203^rd	231	12.1%
2021	35.87	127^th	210	39.5%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	49.00	164^th	349	53.0%
2019	53.23	192^nd	448	57.1%
2021	23.79	383^rd	458	16.4%
2022	21.54	417^th	475	12.2%
2023	20.00	393^rd	463	15.1%
2024	16.95	397^th	455	12.7%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at Pacific Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	46.35	27^th	59	54.2%
2021	16.24	27^th	27	0.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Pacific Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	46.46	197^th	376	47.6%
2019	46.57	247^th	452	45.4%
2021	18.26	392^nd	469	16.4%
2022	13.03	436^th	479	9.0%
2023	10.93	428^th	464	7.8%
2024	12.07	422^nd	464	9.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Pacific Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	47.25	183^rd	371	50.7%
2019	33.80	299^th	453	34.0%
2021	15.44	417^th	476	12.4%
2022	14.16	433^rd	480	9.8%
2023	18.18	400^th	470	14.9%
2024	11.30	431^st	466	7.5%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Pacific Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	38.93	94^th	152	38.2%
2021	21.35	119^th	149	20.1%
2022	19.37	138^th	161	14.3%
2023	9.99	135^th	145	6.9%
2024	5.96	145^th	148	2.0%

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

Rank History for African American students at Pacific Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	78.24	6^th	66	90.9%
2019	61.04	28^th	111	74.8%
2021	25.58	88^th	106	17.0%
2022	29.69	73^rd	104	29.8%
2023	28.48	70^th	96	27.1%
2024	17.97	75^th	90	16.7%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Pacific Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	45.06	140^th	259	45.9%
2019	42.87	195^th	344	43.3%
2021	21.47	296^th	353	16.1%
2022	16.68	322^nd	360	10.6%
2023	21.83	273^rd	336	18.8%
2024	20.71	289^th	344	16.0%

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

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Pacific Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	69.80	5^th	31	83.9%

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

Rank History for White students at Pacific Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	71.81	94^th	325	71.1%
2019	62.04	159^th	470	66.2%
2021	38.74	291^st	480	39.4%
2022	30.29	355^th	488	27.3%
2023	23.46	388^th	488	20.5%
2024	15.51	435^th	486	10.5%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1.5)

50%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, January 16, 2019

My daughter went here and she felt unsafe the entire time she was there. Students would disregard schools rules with no disciplinary action following. My daughter stated that she couldn't work because students were out of control and her teachers would spend her whole class time repeating tasks for their assignment. Since we have moved her she is a totally different kid. She's happy, loves school, she is meeting more positive friends and teachers. At Pacific there are very few caring teachers. As far as administration I'd like to see them kick in their disciplinary actions towards the constant students who keep breaking the rules. Those students are not learning anything and will not be prepared for high school or adult life. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Pacific Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	468	12	30	18	10	n/a	n/a	0	538
1989	437	21	36	14	10	n/a	n/a	0	518
1990	485	30	35	16	12	n/a	n/a	0	578
1991	492	28	38	15	20	n/a	n/a	0	593
1992	470	31	41	9	14	n/a	n/a	0	565
1993	518	35	31	18	12	n/a	n/a	0	614
1994	449	48	39	26	10	n/a	n/a	0	572
1995	448	38	77	18	17	n/a	n/a	0	598
1996	448	38	77	18	17	n/a	n/a	0	598
1997	451	51	101	34	20	n/a	n/a	0	657
1998	435	74	112	48	15	n/a	n/a	0	684
1999	477	91	99	63	16	n/a	n/a	0	746
2000	477	85	82	72	7	n/a	n/a	0	723
2001	425	84	91	76	14	n/a	n/a	0	690
2002	410	112	101	102	14	n/a	n/a	0	739
2003	410	112	101	102	14	n/a	n/a	0	739
2004	357	116	115	122	16	n/a	n/a	0	726
2005	358	113	111	113	12	n/a	n/a	0	707
2006	361	115	107	149	18	n/a	n/a	0	750
2007	304	94	116	147	18	n/a	n/a	0	679
2008	323	90	120	148	13	n/a	n/a	0	694
2009	342	90	133	155	6	n/a	n/a	0	726
2010	316	76	128	156	9	n/a	n/a	16	701
2011	279	45	72	184	3	18	87	0	688
2012	272	54	70	194	7	24	59	0	680
2013	270	74	81	194	9	25	58	0	711
2014	243	67	78	179	8	27	56	0	658
2015	237	67	72	188	6	27	53	0	650
2016	204	68	67	199	6	39	63	0	646
2017	169	81	64	196	9	30	53	0	602
2018	176	97	65	204	11	23	52	0	628
2019	162	87	63	230	6	29	49	0	626
2020	137	119	89	282	5	49	53	0	734
2021	139	130	96	264	4	39	70	0	742
2022	108	111	79	259	1	36	64	2	660
2023	100	124	78	254	3	25	65	2	651

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 Pacific Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	538	22.0	24.4	0
1989	518	24.0	21.5	n/a
1990	578	27.2	21.2	0
1991	593	26.2	22.6	n/a
1992	565	29.5	19.1	n/a
1993	614	29.6	20.7	n/a
1994	572	26.8	21.3	n/a
1995	598	30.8	19.4	n/a
1996	598	30.8	19.4	n/a
1997	657	33.8	19.4	n/a
1998	684	32.8	20.9	n/a
1999	746	35.6	21.0	n/a
2000	723	35.4	20.4	n/a
2001	690	31.8	21.7	n/a
2002	739	38.8	19.0	43.7
2003	739	38.8	19.0	43.7
2004	726	36.0	20.2	51.9
2005	707	35.8	19.7	48.2
2006	750	35.6	21.1	49.6
2007	679	n/a	n/a	44.6
2008	694	28.5	24.4	42.1
2009	726	28.4	25.6	46
2010	701	35.0	20.0	51.2
2011	688	36.7	18.7	46.7
2012	680	33.0	20.6	57.9
2013	711	35.6	19.9	58.9
2014	658	n/a	n/a	59.6
2015	650	34.0	19.1	52.8
2016	646	34.0	19.0	64.1
2017	602	33.4	17.9	60.5
2018	628	34.9	17.9	64.2
2019	626	35.0	17.8	64.7
2020	734	36.5	20.0	74.9
2021	742	39.0	19.0	70.1
2022	660	34.0	19.3	76.5
2023	651	30.8	21.0	80.8

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 Pacific Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	538	22.0	24.4	0
1989	518	24.0	21.5	n/a
1990	578	27.2	21.2	0
1991	593	26.2	22.6	n/a
1992	565	29.5	19.1	n/a
1993	614	29.6	20.7	n/a
1994	572	26.8	21.3	n/a
1995	598	30.8	19.4	n/a
1996	598	30.8	19.4	n/a
1997	657	33.8	19.4	n/a
1998	684	32.8	20.9	n/a
1999	746	35.6	21.0	n/a
2000	723	35.4	20.4	n/a
2001	690	31.8	21.7	n/a
2002	739	38.8	19.0	43.7
2003	739	38.8	19.0	43.7
2004	726	36.0	20.2	51.9
2005	707	35.8	19.7	48.2
2006	750	35.6	21.1	49.6
2007	679	n/a	n/a	44.6
2008	694	28.5	24.4	42.1
2009	726	28.4	25.6	46
2010	701	35.0	20.0	51.2
2011	688	36.7	18.7	46.7
2012	680	33.0	20.6	57.9
2013	711	35.6	19.9	58.9
2014	658	n/a	n/a	59.6
2015	650	34.0	19.1	52.8
2016	646	34.0	19.0	64.1
2017	602	33.4	17.9	60.5
2018	628	34.9	17.9	64.2
2019	626	35.0	17.8	64.7
2020	734	36.5	20.0	74.9
2021	742	39.0	19.0	70.1
2022	660	34.0	19.3	76.5
2023	651	30.8	21.0	80.8

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.

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