Foss High School is a public high school in Tacoma, Washington, serving 587 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Tacoma School District, which is ranked 152 out of 247 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.
Foss High School consistently underperforms compared to the Tacoma School District and the state of Washington in standardized test scores, with only 38.05% of students proficient or better in SBAC/English Language Arts and just 8.04% proficient or better in SBAC/Math. The school also has a lower four-year graduation rate, ranging from 85.6% to 88.7% over the past five years, compared to the 97.1% graduation rate at nearby Dr. Dolores Silas High School. Foss High School has a more diverse student population, with higher percentages of African American, Hispanic, and Pacific Islander students, and a significantly higher percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 53.72% to 74.21% over the past three years.
Despite the higher per-student spending at Foss High School, ranging from $16,196 to $21,863 over the past four years, the school's academic performance and graduation rates remain significantly lower than nearby schools like Dr. Dolores Silas High School and Tacoma Online High School. This suggests the need for a deeper examination of the school's practices and resources to better support the diverse student population and improve student success.
Foss High School ranks in the bottom 6.4% of Washington high schools.
Foss High School is fed by the following schools:Elementary : Delong Elementary SchoolElementary : Edison Elementary SchoolElementary : Franklin Elementary SchoolElementary : Geiger Montessori SchoolElementary : Reed Elementary SchoolElementary : Stanley Elementary SchoolElementary : Whittier Elementary SchoolMiddle : Wainwright Intermediate School
Tacoma School District
Students at Foss High School are 26% Hispanic, 24% White, 21% African American, 14% Two or more races, 7% Asian, 5% Pacific Islander, 2% American Indian.
In the 2023-24 school year, 580 students attended Foss High School.