Port Townsend High School

Summary:

Port Townsend High School is a public high school serving 377 students in grades 9-12 in Port Townsend, Washington, which is part of the Chimacum School District. This high-performing school consistently outpaces the state average in academic metrics and maintains a strong graduation rate, making it a standout educational institution in the region.

Academically, Port Townsend High School shines, with 73.08% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 52.63%, and 68.35% proficient or better in Science, well above the state's 49.73% average. The school's four-year graduation rate of 91.3% also exceeds the state's average of around 80%. While the student population is predominantly White at 77.72%, the school serves a relatively diverse student body, with 10.08% Hispanic and 7.96% two or more races. Additionally, nearly half of the students (49.34%) qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating the school's ability to support students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.

When compared to nearby high schools, such as South Whidbey High School, Sequim Senior High, and Oak Harbor High School, Port Townsend High School consistently outperforms its regional peers in academic metrics and overall school rankings, solidifying its reputation as a high-quality educational institution that is effectively serving the diverse needs of its student population.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 1500 Van Ness St
       Port Townsend, WA  98368-6346


(360) 379-4520

District: Port Townsend School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
106th of 437 Washington High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $18,699 Help


Feeder schools for Port Townsend High School:

Elementary:    Salish Coast Elementary
Middle:    Blue Heron Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  19.0 Help
Number of students:  361

Racial breakdown:

White:
78.4%
Hispanic:
9.7%
Two or more races:
8.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  50.1% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Port Townsend High School ranks better than 75.7% of high schools in Washington. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 70.95. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Port Townsend High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (78.4%), Hispanic (9.7%), two or more races (8.3%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 50.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Port Townsend High School is 19. (See more...)
Help
Compare Port Townsend High School employs 18.9 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Port Townsend High School is $18,699.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Port Townsend High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Port Townsend High School 106th of 437 Washington public high schools. (See Port Townsend High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Port Townsend School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Port Townsend School District 59th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Port Townsend High School

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Rank History for all students at Port Townsend High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 67.35 124th 390 68.2%
2005 53.81 211th 394 46.4%
2006 79.20 64th 395 83.8%
2007 73.81 94th 399 76.4%
2008 52.03 232nd 396 41.4%
2009 64.60 160th 402 60.2%
2010 77.95 73rd 423 82.7%
2011 51.70 213th 440 51.6%
2012 64.45 130th 450 71.1%
2013 68.77 104th 454 77.1%
2019 77.83 74th 417 82.3%
2021 77.73 70th 455 84.6%
2022 80.20 66th 434 84.8%
2023 89.40 38th 442 91.4%
2024 70.95 106th 437 75.7%
See the entire list of Washington High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Port Townsend High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 34.71 133rd 195 31.8%
See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Port Townsend High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 60.88 35th 128 72.7%
2022 52.38 50th 130 61.5%
See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Port Townsend High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 82.83 32nd 344 90.7%
2021 86.46 21st 392 94.6%
2022 53.02 158th 370 57.3%
2023 96.47 9th 362 97.5%
2024 78.52 50th 356 86.0%
See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Port Townsend High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 68.94 101st 358 71.8%
2021 76.01 65th 390 83.3%
2022 86.57 32nd 368 91.3%
2023 88.41 34th 357 90.5%
2024 78.09 62nd 347 82.1%
See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Port Townsend High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 82.50 45th 355 87.3%
2021 74.32 79th 395 80.0%
2022 65.42 113th 363 68.9%
2023 79.76 57th 358 84.1%
2024 60.45 128th 362 64.6%
See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Port Townsend High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 31.72 185th 261 29.1%
2024 82.76 29th 248 88.3%
See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Port Townsend High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 73.15 89th 382 76.7%
2021 72.18 88th 413 78.7%
2022 78.56 62nd 390 84.1%
2023 84.77 44th 379 88.4%
2024 62.66 122nd 374 67.4%
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.

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





Data source: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Port Townsend High School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 622 3 10 2 6 n/a n/a 0 643
1989 587 4 14 5 6 n/a n/a 0 616
1990 602 8 12 11 13 n/a n/a 0 646
1991 642 10 10 9 7 n/a n/a 0 678
1992 722 10 13 9 9 n/a n/a 0 763
1993 755 8 20 11 10 n/a n/a 0 804
1994 845 7 12 14 17 n/a n/a 0 895
1995 603 7 16 10 9 n/a n/a 0 645
1996 603 7 16 10 9 n/a n/a 0 645
1997 546 9 18 11 17 n/a n/a 0 601
1998 556 7 18 12 14 n/a n/a 0 607
1999 548 5 19 9 12 n/a n/a 0 593
2000 621 5 15 4 15 n/a n/a 0 660
2001 577 8 15 6 19 n/a n/a 0 625
2002 587 9 14 11 15 n/a n/a 0 636
2003 587 9 14 11 15 n/a n/a 0 636
2004 538 10 18 12 14 n/a n/a 0 592
2005 513 9 23 14 16 n/a n/a 2 577
2006 536 10 27 14 19 n/a n/a 1 607
2007 509 15 28 15 25 n/a n/a 7 599
2008 460 11 31 16 25 n/a n/a 7 550
2009 473 9 29 15 20 n/a n/a 6 552
2010 431 8 27 21 22 n/a n/a 7 516
2011 433 8 27 23 14 2 7 0 514
2012 428 12 22 22 10 2 11 0 507
2013 407 13 19 22 6 1 20 0 488
2014 363 8 14 25 3 1 23 0 437
2015 347 3 8 28 0 1 29 0 416
2016 296 4 9 28 5 2 24 0 368
2017 274 6 10 30 5 2 23 0 350
2018 273 4 10 29 3 1 20 0 340
2019 288 5 8 25 4 1 16 2 349
2020 318 5 9 26 3 0 17 1 379
2021 302 3 4 33 3 0 28 3 376
2022 290 3 6 36 7 1 33 5 381
2023 293 4 7 38 4 1 30 0 377
2024 283 3 7 35 1 1 30 1 361

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 Port Townsend High School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 643 32.0 20.0 0
1989 616 33.0 18.6 n/a
1990 646 34.0 19.0 0
1991 678 39.8 17.0 n/a
1992 763 38.6 19.7 n/a
1993 804 43.8 18.4 n/a
1994 895 41.9 21.4 n/a
1995 645 45.7 14.1 n/a
1996 645 45.7 14.1 n/a
1997 601 50.1 12.0 n/a
1998 607 31.2 19.5 n/a
1999 593 31.0 19.1 n/a
2000 660 28.2 23.4 n/a
2001 625 27.5 22.7 n/a
2002 636 25.9 24.6 29.9
2003 636 25.9 24.6 29.9
2004 592 26.0 22.8 32.1
2005 577 25.7 22.5 28.9
2006 607 25.6 23.7 28.9
2007 599 24.9 24.1 33.8
2008 550 26.5 20.8 34.6
2009 552 28.5 19.4 26.7
2010 516 25.4 20.3 35.6
2011 514 24.7 20.8 34.2
2012 507 22.6 22.4 38.9
2013 488 21.3 22.8 38.7
2014 437 n/a n/a 41.6
2015 416 20.0 20.8 41.3
2016 368 20.0 18.4 44.3
2017 350 18.7 18.6 44.3
2018 340 18.5 18.2 45.9
2019 349 18.5 18.8 45.8
2020 379 19.8 19.1 46.7
2021 376 19.0 19.7 43.1
2022 381 19.2 19.7 40.2
2023 377 19.6 19.1 49.3
2024 361 18.9 19.0 50.1

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 Port Townsend High School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 643 32.0 20.0 0
1989 616 33.0 18.6 n/a
1990 646 34.0 19.0 0
1991 678 39.8 17.0 n/a
1992 763 38.6 19.7 n/a
1993 804 43.8 18.4 n/a
1994 895 41.9 21.4 n/a
1995 645 45.7 14.1 n/a
1996 645 45.7 14.1 n/a
1997 601 50.1 12.0 n/a
1998 607 31.2 19.5 n/a
1999 593 31.0 19.1 n/a
2000 660 28.2 23.4 n/a
2001 625 27.5 22.7 n/a
2002 636 25.9 24.6 29.9
2003 636 25.9 24.6 29.9
2004 592 26.0 22.8 32.1
2005 577 25.7 22.5 28.9
2006 607 25.6 23.7 28.9
2007 599 24.9 24.1 33.8
2008 550 26.5 20.8 34.6
2009 552 28.5 19.4 26.7
2010 516 25.4 20.3 35.6
2011 514 24.7 20.8 34.2
2012 507 22.6 22.4 38.9
2013 488 21.3 22.8 38.7
2014 437 n/a n/a 41.6
2015 416 20.0 20.8 41.3
2016 368 20.0 18.4 44.3
2017 350 18.7 18.6 44.3
2018 340 18.5 18.2 45.9
2019 349 18.5 18.8 45.8
2020 379 19.8 19.1 46.7
2021 376 19.0 19.7 43.1
2022 381 19.2 19.7 40.2
2023 377 19.6 19.1 49.3
2024 361 18.9 19.0 50.1

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

Port Townsend High School

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Compare
YearCompletely ImmunizedReligious ExemptionMedical ExemptionPersonal ExemptionPolioDiphtheriaHepatitis BVaricellaMMRPertussis
201971.5%0.3%1.1%15.7%88.4%89.2%85.9%88.1%90.5%89.2%

Data source: Washington State Department of Health
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Port Townsend High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $406 (2.7%) $14,753 (97.3%) $15,159
2020 $364 (3.2%) $10,897 (96.8%) $11,261
2021 $651 (4.1%) $15,260 (95.9%) $15,910
2022 $1,774 (9.5%) $16,925 (90.5%) $18,699

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Port Townsend 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 74th of 417 High schoolsRanks 38th of 442 High schools
 9.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
10th Grade English Language Arts (Port Townsend High School)85.589.9
 4.3%
   10th Grade English Language Arts (Port Townsend School District)83.288.5
 5.3%
   10th Grade English Language Arts (Washington)72.865.9
 6.9%
10th Grade Math (Port Townsend High School)41.544.7
 3.3%
   10th Grade Math (Port Townsend School District)40.944.1
 3.2%
   10th Grade Math (Washington)42.433.3
 9.1%
11th Grade Science (Port Townsend High School)79.580.3
 0.8%
   11th Grade Science (Port Townsend School District)76.573.4
 3.1%
   11th Grade Science (Washington)5050.5
 0.5%
All Grades English Language Arts (Port Townsend High School)85.589.9
 4.3%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Port Townsend School District)64.259.2
 5%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Washington)6152.9
 8.1%
All Grades Math (Port Townsend High School)41.544.7
 3.3%
   All Grades Math (Port Townsend School District)47.338.6
 8.7%
   All Grades Math (Washington)50.141
 9%
All Grades Science (Port Townsend High School)79.580.3
 0.8%
   All Grades Science (Port Townsend School District)59.566
 6.5%
   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 Students349377
 8%
African American54
 20%
American Indian44
Asian87
 12.5%
Hispanic2538
 52%
Pacific Islander11
White288293
 1.7%
Two or More Races1630
 87.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients45.8%49.3%
 3.5%


Schools Near Port Townsend High School









Frequently Asked Questions about Port Townsend High School

Port Townsend High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Salish Coast Elementary
Middle : Blue Heron Middle School

In the 2023-24 school year, 361 students attended Port Townsend High School.

Students at Port Townsend High School are 78% White, 10% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Port Townsend High School ranks 106th of 437 Washington high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.


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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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