Glacier Middle School

Summary:

Glacier Middle School is a public middle school located in SeaTac, Washington, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 855 students. The school is part of the Highline School District, which is ranked 192 out of 247 districts in Washington and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Glacier Middle School faces significant challenges, with a student population that is 56.14% Hispanic, significantly higher than the state average and nearby schools. The school consistently underperforms the state and district averages in standardized test scores, with only 20.86% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 12.26% meeting or exceeding math standards, compared to state averages of 52.63% and 41.68%, respectively. Glacier Middle School ranks particularly low among its peers in the state for several student subgroups, including English Language Learners, Special Education students, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

When compared to higher-performing schools outside the Highline School District, such as Islander Middle School in the Mercer Island School District, the differences are stark. Islander Middle School consistently ranks among the top middle schools in the state, with significantly higher test scores and a more affluent student population. While Glacier Middle School has seen a significant increase in per-student spending, the academic performance has not shown a corresponding improvement, suggesting that the school and district are facing systemic challenges that need to be addressed to drive sustainable progress for all students.

Detail:

Public 6-8

2450 South 142nd Street
SeaTac, WA 98168

(206) 631-5300

District: Highline School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
516^th of 535 Washington Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,648

Students who attend Glacier Middle School usually attend:

High:

Highline High School

Feeder schools for Glacier Middle School:

Elementary:	Beverly Park Elementary at Glendale
	Cedarhurst Elementary
	Hilltop Elementary
	Seahurst Elementary School
	More...
	Southern Heights Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 21.1

Number of students: 855

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

56.1%

Asian:

15.2%

African American:

8.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 81.3%

See top rated Washington middle schools

Compare Glacier Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Glacier Middle School ranks worse than 96.4% of middle schools in Washington. It also ranks last among 5 ranked middle schools in the Highline School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.94. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Glacier Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the Highline School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (56.1%), Asian (15.2%), African American (8.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 81.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Glacier Middle School is 21.1, which is the highest among 5 middle schools in the Highline School District! (See more...)

Compare Glacier Middle School employs 40.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Glacier Middle School is $18,648, which is the lowest among 5 middle schools in the Highline School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Glacier Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Glacier Middle School 516^th of 535 Washington public middle schools. (See Glacier Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian 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:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Glacier Middle School.

What do you think?

Your rating for Glacier Middle School?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Glacier Middle School

Compare

Rank History for all students at Glacier Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2021	11.11	497^th	529	6.0%
2022	8.92	522^nd	541	3.5%
2023	9.96	505^th	539	6.3%
2024	7.94	516^th	535	3.6%

See the entire list of Washington Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Glacier Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2021	18.96	214^th	250	14.4%
2022	19.43	224^th	257	12.8%
2023	22.33	202^nd	244	17.2%
2024	27.84	185^th	243	23.9%

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

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Glacier Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2022	10.81	62^nd	63	1.6%
2023	17.23	56^th	57	1.8%
2024	14.21	77^th	78	1.3%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Glacier Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	19.53	197^th	210	6.2%
2022	14.01	197^th	199	1.0%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2021	16.43	425^th	458	7.2%
2022	12.62	452^nd	475	4.8%
2023	14.20	422^nd	463	8.9%
2024	9.32	444^th	455	2.4%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at Glacier Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2021	44.83	14^th	27	48.1%
2022	18.62	31^st	33	6.1%
2024	20.21	11^th	12	8.3%

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

Rank History for Female students at Glacier Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2021	11.20	444^th	469	5.3%
2022	8.14	467^th	479	2.5%
2023	9.18	437^th	464	5.8%
2024	6.53	451^st	464	2.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at Glacier Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2021	11.83	446^th	476	6.3%
2022	9.37	460^th	480	4.2%
2023	9.85	439^th	470	6.6%
2024	8.66	445^th	466	4.5%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Glacier Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2021	14.45	137^th	149	8.1%
2022	13.55	146^th	161	9.3%
2023	15.72	126^th	145	13.1%
2024	8.56	142^nd	148	4.1%

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

Rank History for African American students at Glacier Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2021	42.25	57^th	106	46.2%
2022	20.70	95^th	104	8.7%
2023	22.35	77^th	96	19.8%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Glacier Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2021	14.42	343^rd	353	2.8%
2022	11.45	353^rd	360	1.9%
2023	9.70	329^th	336	2.1%
2024	7.69	343^rd	344	0.3%

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

Rank History for White students at Glacier Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2021	24.26	375^th	480	21.9%
2022	16.60	428^th	488	12.3%
2023	33.62	331^st	488	32.2%
2024	26.79	375^th	486	22.8%

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: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, January 23, 2023

So far so good. Our child likes the school. Mr Chaz and everyone I have dealt with has been very responsive. Keep up the great work! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Glacier Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2020	111	92	141	491	3	38	46	0	922
2021	98	95	149	531	2	36	70	0	981
2022	81	78	139	456	7	29	55	1	846
2023	67	72	130	480	5	33	64	4	855

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 Glacier Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2020	922	44.2	20.8	82.8
2021	981	51.1	19.1	78.7
2022	846	44.4	19.0	82.9
2023	855	40.5	21.1	81.3

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 Glacier Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2020	922	44.2	20.8	82.8
2021	981	51.1	19.1	78.7
2022	846	44.4	19.0	82.9
2023	855	40.5	21.1	81.3

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.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Glacier Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2020	$1,159 (11.2%)	$9,203 (88.8%)	$10,363
2021	$1,003 (6.3%)	$14,884 (93.7%)	$15,887
2022	$1,899 (10.2%)	$16,748 (89.8%)	$18,648

Data source: Washington Department of Education

Schools Near Glacier Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				WCAS Science (2024)			SBAC English Language Arts (2024)					SBAC Math (2024)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	WCAS Science 5th Grade	WCAS Science 8th Grade	WCAS Science All Grades	SBAC English Language Arts 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts All Grades	SBAC Math 5th Grade	SBAC Math 6th Grade	SBAC Math 7th Grade	SBAC Math 8th Grade	SBAC Math All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Glacier Middle School	Public	6-8	2450 South 142nd Street	SeaTac	98168	King County	Highline School District	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 631-5300	855	41	21.1	81.3%	67 (7.8%)	72 (8.4%)	480 (56.1%)	130 (15.2%)	5 (0.6%)	33 (3.9%)	64 (7.5%)	7.9	516^th of 535 public middle schools	3.6%		10	505^th of 539 public middle schools	6.3%	11		23.8	23.8		15.1	21.1	26.0	20.9		9.3	12.4	15.0	12.3	$18,648	$1,899	$16,749
Showalter Middle School	Public	6-8	4628 S 144th St	Seattle	98168	King County	Tukwila School District	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 901-7800	574	36	16.0	81.0%	55 (9.6%)	84 (14.6%)	223 (38.9%)	137 (23.9%)	6 (1.0%)	19 (3.3%)	43 (7.5%)	14.3	469^th of 535 public middle schools	12.3%		10.5	501^st of 539 public middle schools	7.1%	32		32.6	32.6		22.8	30.3	32.2	28.5		12.4	23.8	10.7	15.8	$20,551	$2,947	$17,604
Sylvester Middle School	Public	6-8	16222 Sylvester Road SW	Burien	98166	King County	Highline School District	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 631-6000	619	35	17.7	50.9%	238 (38.4%)	53 (8.6%)	188 (30.4%)	41 (6.6%)	8 (1.3%)	12 (1.9%)	73 (11.8%)	33.3	350^th of 535 public middle schools	34.6%		38.3	314^th of 539 public middle schools	41.7%	36		45.5	45.5		37.1	38.6	42.3	39.4		25.6	29.3	29.3	28.1	$18,952	$1,884	$17,068
Rainier Prep	Public, Charter	5-8	10211 12th Ave S	Seattle	98168	King County	Rainier Prep Charter School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(206) 494-5979	330	25	13.2	72.1%	8 (2.4%)	193 (58.5%)	88 (26.7%)	22 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	16 (4.8%)	73.6	120^th of 535 public middle schools	77.6%		69.4	142^nd of 539 public middle schools	73.7%	22	64.4	37.2	51.5	69.0	61.9	63.6	64.1	64.7	66.7	50.0	52.6	56.4	56.6	$16,947	$805	$16,142
Cascade Middle School	Public	6-8	11212 10th Ave Sw	Seattle	98146	King County	Highline School District	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 631-5500	683	44	15.5	83.3%	49 (7.2%)	86 (12.6%)	326 (47.7%)	144 (21.1%)	5 (0.7%)	13 (1.9%)	58 (8.5%)	9	507^th of 535 public middle schools	5.2%		10	504^th of 539 public middle schools	6.5%	3		18.1	18.1		20.0	25.3	30.2	25.0		8.5	20.0	11.8	13.3	$19,757	$2,083	$17,674
Chinook Middle School	Public	6-8	18650 42nd Ave S	SeaTac	98188	King County	Highline School District	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 631-5700	599	36	16.4	78.5%	68 (11.4%)	124 (20.7%)	223 (37.2%)	93 (15.5%)	2 (0.3%)	44 (7.3%)	40 (6.7%)	13.1	483^rd of 535 public middle schools	9.7%		12.6	487^th of 539 public middle schools	9.6%	4		28.1	28.1		31.3	24.1	30.5	28.8		17.0	12.9	16.3	15.5	$20,272	$1,977	$18,295
Dimmitt Middle School	Public	6-8	12320 80th Ave S	Seattle	98178	King County	Renton School District	No	No	No	Yes	(425) 204-2800	664	37	17.9	71.7%	65 (9.8%)	170 (25.6%)	185 (27.9%)	173 (26.1%)	3 (0.5%)	14 (2.1%)	54 (8.1%)	13.4	477^th of 535 public middle schools	10.8%		12.2	490^th of 539 public middle schools	9.1%	13		22.3	22.3		26.4	29.9	32.4	29.7		14.9	22.4	16.7	18.0	$18,656	$1,717	$16,938
David T. Denny International Middle School	Public	6-8	2601 SW Kenyon St	Seattle	98126	King County	Seattle School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 252-9000	811	55	14.7	60.5%	216 (26.6%)	177 (21.8%)	207 (25.5%)	99 (12.2%)	3 (0.4%)	9 (1.1%)	96 (11.8%)	34	343^rd of 535 public middle schools	35.9%		34.1	343^rd of 539 public middle schools	36.4%			24.7	24.7		46.5	41.3	40.0	42.5		34.3	29.9	32.8	32.3	$21,410	$1,664	$19,747
Aki Kurose Middle School	Public	6-8	3928 S Graham St	Seattle	98118	King County	Seattle School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 252-7700	772	47	16.4	65.7%	122 (15.8%)	248 (32.1%)	134 (17.4%)	178 (23.1%)	1 (0.1%)	9 (1.2%)	74 (9.6%)	44.5	281^st of 535 public middle schools	47.5%		37.2	323^rd of 539 public middle schools	40.1%	42		29.2	29.2		42.6	54.1	42.6	46.3		37.0	44.3	35.0	38.7	$21,659	$2,099	$19,560
Nelsen Middle School	Public	6-8	2403 Jones Ave S	Renton	98055	King County	Renton School District	No	No	No	No	(425) 204-3000	904	45	20.1	60.5%	190 (21.0%)	154 (17.0%)	229 (25.3%)	229 (25.3%)	1 (0.1%)	16 (1.8%)	85 (9.4%)	32	360^th of 535 public middle schools	32.7%		23.1	423^rd of 539 public middle schools	21.5%	63		39.8	39.8		37.5	43.5	43.0	41.2		28.6	27.9	23.5	26.8	$17,359	$1,258	$16,100

Frequently Asked Questions about Glacier Middle School

What district is Glacier Middle School in?

Highline School District

Is Glacier Middle School a good school?

Glacier Middle School ranks in the bottom 3.6% of Washington middle schools.

What high school do graduates of Glacier Middle School attend?

Students who attend Glacier Middle School usually go on to attend Highline High School

How many students attend Glacier Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 855 students attended Glacier Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Glacier Middle School?

Students at Glacier Middle School are 56% Hispanic, 15% Asian, 8% African American, 8% White, 7% Two or more races, 4% Pacific Islander.

Rate Glacier Middle School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

WAWashington Middle School Rankings

WAWashington District Rankings

Schools in SeaTac, WA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Glacier Middle School!

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.