Is Nelsen Middle School a good school?

Nelsen Middle School ranks 360 th of 535 Washington middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Nelsen Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 904 students attended Nelsen Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Nelsen Middle School?

Students at Nelsen Middle School are 25% Asian, 25% Hispanic, 21% White, 17% African American, 9% Two or more races, 2% Pacific Islander.

What high school do graduates of Nelsen Middle School attend?

Students who attend Nelsen Middle School usually go on to attend Lindbergh Senior High School

Nelsen Middle School

Summary:

Nelsen Middle School is a public middle school located in Renton, Washington, serving 904 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Renton School District, which is ranked 139 out of 247 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Nelsen Middle School consistently underperforms compared to the Renton School District and the state of Washington in standardized test scores for English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 41.2% of Nelsen students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 47.04% for the district and 52.63% for the state. In Math, the proficiency rate was even lower at 26.76%, compared to 39.42% for the district and 41.68% for the state. The school also struggles to support certain student subgroups, ranking in the bottom 20% of Washington middle schools for African American and Asian students in ELA and Math. Additionally, Nelsen Middle School has a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 60.51% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in the 2022-2023 school year.

Nelsen Middle School's academic performance is generally lower than that of nearby middle schools, such as Northwood Middle School and McKnight Middle School, both in the Kent School District. The school's statewide ranking has also steadily declined over the years, from 197th out of 445 Washington middle schools in 2014-2015 to 360th out of 535 in 2023-2024. This suggests that Nelsen Middle School is struggling to keep pace with other middle schools in the state and may need to re-evaluate its strategies and allocate resources more effectively to improve student outcomes.

Detail:

Public 6-8

2403 Jones Ave S
Renton, WA 98055-4304

(425) 204-3000

District: Renton School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
360^th of 535 Washington Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,359

Students who attend Nelsen Middle School usually attend:

High:

Lindbergh Senior High School

Feeder schools for Nelsen Middle School:

Elementary:	Benson Hill Elementary School
	Cascade Elementary School
	Renton Park Elementary School
	Tiffany Park Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 20.1

Number of students: 904

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

25.3%

Hispanic:

25.3%

White:

21.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 60.5%

See top rated Washington middle schools

Compare Nelsen Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Nelsen Middle School ranks worse than 67.3% of middle schools in Washington. It also ranks 3^rd among 4 ranked middle schools in the Renton School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 31.95. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Nelsen Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the Renton School District. Student population at Nelsen Middle School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Asian (25.3%), Hispanic (25.3%), White (21%). (See more...)

Compare Details 60.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Nelsen Middle School is 20.1. 2 middle schools in the Renton School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Nelsen Middle School employs 44.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Nelsen Middle School is $17,359, which is the 2^nd highest among 4 middle schools in the Renton School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Nelsen Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Nelsen Middle School 360^th of 535 Washington public middle schools. (See Nelsen Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Renton School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Renton School District 139^th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Nelsen Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Nelsen Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	48.67	226^th	421	46.3%
2005	36.98	293^rd	425	31.1%
2006	39.97	288^th	449	35.9%
2007	38.89	303^rd	463	34.6%
2008	44.29	271^st	466	41.8%
2009	39.41	303^rd	476	36.3%
2010	49.96	243^rd	483	49.7%
2011	52.35	233^rd	492	52.6%
2012	53.00	227^th	497	54.3%
2013	50.33	244^th	498	51.0%
2015	53.63	197^th	445	55.7%
2016	48.18	223^rd	443	49.7%
2017	43.53	245^th	435	43.7%
2018	39.77	265^th	437	39.4%
2019	25.64	394^th	512	23.0%
2021	23.79	406^th	529	23.3%
2022	22.51	430^th	541	20.5%
2023	23.12	423^rd	539	21.5%
2024	31.95	360^th	535	32.7%

See the entire list of Washington Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Nelsen Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	13.48	227^th	246	7.7%
2021	36.31	160^th	250	36.0%
2022	21.99	212^th	257	17.5%
2023	19.49	210^th	244	13.9%
2024	41.04	142^nd	243	41.6%

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

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Nelsen Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	49.32	45^th	135	66.7%
2019	22.28	81^st	100	19.0%
2022	19.73	56^th	63	11.1%
2023	23.44	40^th	57	29.8%
2024	25.05	55^th	78	29.5%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Nelsen Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	34.42	167^th	268	37.7%
2019	10.44	230^th	231	0.4%
2024	19.86	151^st	179	15.6%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	42.34	205^th	349	41.3%
2019	23.67	368^th	448	17.9%
2021	27.87	349^th	458	23.8%
2022	21.91	416^th	475	12.4%
2023	21.71	382^nd	463	17.5%
2024	33.64	306^th	455	32.7%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at Nelsen Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	19.16	54^th	59	8.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Nelsen Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	38.52	237^th	376	37.0%
2019	25.01	360^th	452	20.4%
2021	26.66	352^nd	469	24.9%
2022	22.75	378^th	479	21.1%
2023	27.16	350^th	464	24.6%
2024	34.86	304^th	464	34.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Nelsen Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	36.86	233^rd	371	37.2%
2019	25.53	347^th	453	23.4%
2021	21.96	372^nd	476	21.8%
2022	21.35	391^st	480	18.5%
2023	17.87	403^rd	470	14.3%
2024	27.45	336^th	466	27.9%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Nelsen Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	44.31	73^rd	123	40.7%
2019	37.66	98^th	152	35.5%
2021	18.66	127^th	149	14.8%
2022	18.33	141^st	161	12.4%
2023	22.64	109^th	145	24.8%
2024	25.99	112^th	148	24.3%

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

Rank History for African American students at Nelsen Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	34.63	42^nd	66	36.4%
2019	17.22	102^nd	111	8.1%
2021	21.26	93^rd	106	12.3%
2022	10.98	103^rd	104	1.0%
2023	8.27	94^th	96	2.1%
2024	14.67	82^nd	90	8.9%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Nelsen Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	38.47	165^th	259	36.3%
2019	21.23	289^th	344	16.0%
2021	26.49	255^th	353	27.8%
2022	23.76	290^th	360	19.4%
2023	21.76	274^th	336	18.5%
2024	33.78	225^th	344	34.6%

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

Rank History for White students at Nelsen Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	36.72	210^th	325	35.4%
2019	24.15	378^th	470	19.6%
2021	19.96	408^th	480	15.0%
2022	24.30	392^nd	488	19.7%
2023	26.06	369^th	488	24.4%
2024	37.78	306^th	486	37.0%

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: 2.5)

50%

Reviews:

by a student
Monday, April 23, 2018

can i just say for to many reasons, this is the worst school ever. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Nelsen Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	648	102	80	22	11	n/a	n/a	0	863
1989	578	96	95	20	9	n/a	n/a	0	798
1990	579	132	102	19	12	n/a	n/a	0	844
1991	600	142	102	31	15	n/a	n/a	0	890
1992	574	150	111	33	15	n/a	n/a	0	883
1993	601	169	112	33	10	n/a	n/a	0	925
1994	629	198	142	36	9	n/a	n/a	0	1014
1995	547	215	154	31	15	n/a	n/a	0	962
1996	547	215	154	31	15	n/a	n/a	0	962
1997	529	231	170	35	9	n/a	n/a	0	974
1998	626	130	158	21	10	n/a	n/a	0	945
1999	615	126	164	32	11	n/a	n/a	0	948
2000	625	133	159	37	13	n/a	n/a	0	967
2001	641	129	173	47	13	n/a	n/a	0	1003
2002	606	154	190	63	13	n/a	n/a	0	1026
2003	606	154	190	63	13	n/a	n/a	0	1026
2004	596	169	202	69	22	n/a	n/a	0	1058
2005	574	190	217	79	15	n/a	n/a	0	1075
2006	537	228	237	116	11	n/a	n/a	0	1129
2007	489	220	263	135	10	n/a	n/a	0	1117
2008	462	199	269	154	13	n/a	n/a	0	1097
2009	428	223	261	155	19	n/a	n/a	0	1086
2010	397	218	258	153	11	n/a	n/a	0	1037
2011	409	213	240	157	14	0	5	0	1038
2012	377	187	256	183	12	2	18	0	1035
2013	337	190	264	157	14	6	26	0	994
2014	295	178	281	171	7	8	31	0	971
2015	313	189	262	191	7	14	51	0	1027
2016	282	176	248	207	5	15	59	0	992
2017	294	175	241	191	2	16	83	0	1002
2018	265	174	251	199	1	17	102	0	1009
2019	250	150	240	230	8	24	101	0	1003
2020	237	170	236	219	6	23	116	0	1007
2021	237	173	243	237	3	21	113	2	1029
2022	190	152	225	214	2	17	110	0	910
2023	190	154	229	229	1	16	85	0	904

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 Nelsen Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	863	40.0	21.5	0
1989	798	37.0	21.5	n/a
1990	844	40.0	21.1	0
1991	890	42.5	20.9	n/a
1992	883	40.4	21.8	n/a
1993	925	41.8	22.1	n/a
1994	1014	43.2	23.5	n/a
1995	962	46.5	20.7	n/a
1996	962	46.5	20.7	n/a
1997	974	45.5	21.4	n/a
1998	945	43.3	21.8	n/a
1999	948	43.6	21.7	n/a
2000	967	41.2	23.5	n/a
2001	1003	47.6	21.1	n/a
2002	1026	49.6	20.7	33.8
2003	1026	49.6	20.7	33.8
2004	1058	52.0	20.3	41.3
2005	1075	51.6	20.8	43.3
2006	1129	52.8	21.4	47.5
2007	1117	51.8	21.6	41.5
2008	1097	55.0	19.9	40.6
2009	1086	55.0	19.7	40.5
2010	1037	51.5	20.1	52.9
2011	1038	51.6	20.1	55.5
2012	1035	52.1	19.8	54.6
2013	994	50.6	19.6	59.4
2014	971	n/a	n/a	58
2015	1027	46.0	22.3	61.1
2016	992	48.0	20.6	60.7
2017	1002	48.9	20.4	60.2
2018	1009	46.6	21.6	56.8
2019	1003	50.3	19.9	57.4
2020	1007	49.4	20.3	56
2021	1029	50.4	20.4	56.2
2022	910	47.4	19.1	54.7
2023	904	44.8	20.1	60.5

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 Nelsen Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	863	40.0	21.5	0
1989	798	37.0	21.5	n/a
1990	844	40.0	21.1	0
1991	890	42.5	20.9	n/a
1992	883	40.4	21.8	n/a
1993	925	41.8	22.1	n/a
1994	1014	43.2	23.5	n/a
1995	962	46.5	20.7	n/a
1996	962	46.5	20.7	n/a
1997	974	45.5	21.4	n/a
1998	945	43.3	21.8	n/a
1999	948	43.6	21.7	n/a
2000	967	41.2	23.5	n/a
2001	1003	47.6	21.1	n/a
2002	1026	49.6	20.7	33.8
2003	1026	49.6	20.7	33.8
2004	1058	52.0	20.3	41.3
2005	1075	51.6	20.8	43.3
2006	1129	52.8	21.4	47.5
2007	1117	51.8	21.6	41.5
2008	1097	55.0	19.9	40.6
2009	1086	55.0	19.7	40.5
2010	1037	51.5	20.1	52.9
2011	1038	51.6	20.1	55.5
2012	1035	52.1	19.8	54.6
2013	994	50.6	19.6	59.4
2014	971	n/a	n/a	58
2015	1027	46.0	22.3	61.1
2016	992	48.0	20.6	60.7
2017	1002	48.9	20.4	60.2
2018	1009	46.6	21.6	56.8
2019	1003	50.3	19.9	57.4
2020	1007	49.4	20.3	56
2021	1029	50.4	20.4	56.2
2022	910	47.4	19.1	54.7
2023	904	44.8	20.1	60.5

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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