Is Lister Elementary School a good school?

Lister Elementary School ranks in the bottom 17.0% of Washington elementary schools.

How many students attend Lister Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 401 students attended Lister Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Lister Elementary School?

Students at Lister Elementary School are 24% African American, 22% Two or more races, 20% Hispanic, 15% White, 11% Asian, 7% Pacific Islander.

What schools do graduates of Lister Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Lister Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : First Creek Middle School High : Lincoln High School

Lister Elementary School

Summary:

Lister Elementary School is a public elementary school in Tacoma, Washington, serving 419 students in grades PK-5. 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.

Lister Elementary consistently ranks in the bottom 20% of Washington elementary schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for most years. Its proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Math, and Science are significantly lower than the Tacoma School District and Washington state averages across all grade levels. The school has a highly diverse student body, with a racial makeup that is more representative of the community than nearby schools like Mann Elementary and Whitman Elementary, which tend to have higher percentages of White and Asian students. Lister Elementary also has a very high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 56.74% to 84.25% over the past few years, significantly higher than the nearby schools.

The data suggests that Lister Elementary is facing significant challenges in providing a high-quality education to its diverse and economically disadvantaged student population. The school's high student-teacher ratio, ranging from 14.5 to 15.6, is higher than the nearby schools, which have ratios ranging from 11 to 17. Additionally, Lister Elementary's performance data shows significant achievement gaps between different racial/ethnic groups, as well as struggles in meeting the needs of English Language Learners and Special Education students. While Lister Elementary's performance is generally lower than the nearby schools, some of the other schools in the Tacoma School District also struggle with low academic achievement and high poverty rates, indicating that the challenges faced by Lister Elementary may be systemic issues within the district that need to be addressed.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

2106 E 44th St
Tacoma, WA 98404

(253) 571-2900

District: Tacoma School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
969^th of 1,168 Washington Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $21,888

Students who attend Lister Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	First Creek Middle School
High:	Lincoln High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.6

Number of students: 401

Racial breakdown:

African American:

24.4%

Two or more races:

22.2%

Hispanic:

19.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 87.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Lister Elementary School ranks worse than 83% of elementary schools in Washington. It also ranks 24^th among 35 ranked elementary schools in the Tacoma School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 19.96. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Lister Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (24.4%), two or more races (22.2%), Hispanic (19.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 87.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Lister Elementary School is 15.6, which is the 11^th best among 35 elementary schools in the Tacoma School District. (See more...)

Compare Lister Elementary School employs 25.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Lister Elementary School is $21,888, which is the 10^th highest among 35 elementary schools in the Tacoma School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Lister Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Lister Elementary School 969^th of 1168 Washington public elementary schools. (See Lister Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Tacoma School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Tacoma School District 152^nd of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Lister Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Lister Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	29.23	775^th	1026	24.5%
2005	46.08	583^rd	1031	43.5%
2006	31.70	776^th	1051	26.2%
2007	24.64	870^th	1069	18.6%
2008	28.86	823^rd	1067	22.9%
2009	16.68	954^th	1072	11.0%
2010	24.30	898^th	1088	17.5%
2011	15.34	987^th	1092	9.6%
2012	13.11	1014^th	1097	7.6%
2013	10.98	1053^rd	1106	4.8%
2015	13.60	966^th	1067	9.5%
2016	11.86	973^rd	1053	7.6%
2017	12.03	973^rd	1056	7.9%
2018	15.20	936^th	1054	11.2%
2019	22.39	912^th	1130	19.3%
2021	4.96	1100^th	1107	0.6%
2022	25.89	888^th	1169	24.0%
2023	21.53	951^st	1169	18.6%
2024	19.96	969^th	1168	17.0%

See the entire list of Washington Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Lister Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	20.13	177^th	212	16.5%
2019	66.63	83^rd	303	72.6%
2021	5.96	128^th	128	0.0%
2022	40.24	156^th	252	38.1%
2023	23.06	165^th	194	14.9%
2024	14.13	179^th	188	4.8%

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

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Lister Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	34.31	239^th	333	28.2%
2019	26.80	201^st	248	19.0%
2023	32.43	165^th	254	35.0%
2024	56.83	114^th	320	64.4%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Lister Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	16.33	607^th	637	4.7%
2019	28.75	420^th	566	25.8%
2022	37.49	287^th	478	40.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Lister Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	44.28	575^th	979	41.3%
2022	40.48	626^th	1019	38.6%
2023	33.89	719^th	1013	29.0%
2024	34.72	711^th	1024	30.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at Lister Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	15.87	887^th	1004	11.7%
2019	20.81	894^th	1068	16.3%
2022	34.74	726^th	1100	34.0%
2023	22.14	882^nd	1094	19.4%
2024	23.19	866^th	1093	20.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at Lister Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	15.70	893^rd	999	10.6%
2019	28.92	800^th	1075	25.6%
2022	33.48	738^th	1113	33.7%
2023	23.90	871^st	1099	20.7%
2024	23.24	870^th	1099	20.8%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Lister Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	21.37	170^th	201	15.4%

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

Rank History for African American students at Lister Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	24.31	97^th	107	9.3%
2019	42.84	60^th	110	45.5%
2024	10.32	70^th	71	1.4%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Lister Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	37.48	336^th	540	37.8%
2019	24.02	581^st	697	16.6%
2024	48.10	337^th	651	48.2%

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

Rank History for White students at Lister Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	8.12	799^th	833	4.1%
2019	24.56	843^rd	1027	17.9%
2023	26.72	808^th	1011	20.1%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary 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 citizen
Thursday, January 16, 2020

I was in the first graduating class at Lister and at the time it made us ready for Gault Jr high so I rate Lister good. I went to Lister the year of 1950. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Lister Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	230	69	115	11	5	n/a	n/a	430
1989	238	68	185	6	5	n/a	n/a	502
1990	200	56	149	7	5	n/a	n/a	417
1991	239	52	145	4	6	n/a	n/a	446
1992	223	42	149	10	7	n/a	n/a	431
1993	218	56	150	8	5	n/a	n/a	437
1994	256	45	121	5	6	n/a	n/a	433
1995	193	65	133	12	5	n/a	n/a	408
1996	193	65	133	12	5	n/a	n/a	408
1997	183	62	127	14	3	n/a	n/a	389
1998	180	76	124	21	6	n/a	n/a	407
1999	177	82	142	26	7	n/a	n/a	434
2000	162	96	140	26	6	n/a	n/a	430
2001	178	95	145	46	5	n/a	n/a	469
2002	182	92	192	61	5	n/a	n/a	532
2003	182	92	192	61	5	n/a	n/a	532
2004	148	86	178	59	7	n/a	n/a	478
2005	114	66	142	50	4	n/a	n/a	376
2006	118	74	134	54	5	n/a	n/a	385
2007	126	115	114	65	6	n/a	n/a	426
2008	122	111	114	74	8	n/a	n/a	429
2009	116	96	96	79	11	n/a	n/a	398
2010	118	101	99	76	3	n/a	n/a	397
2011	118	105	80	76	1	17	32	429
2012	148	133	66	90	1	14	50	502
2013	149	161	68	91	0	25	17	511
2014	144	158	73	95	5	26	33	534
2015	127	148	78	96	5	29	49	532
2016	118	132	69	113	6	33	54	525
2017	88	84	60	112	11	24	107	486
2018	84	82	48	92	11	29	94	440
2019	69	85	48	88	12	29	81	412
2020	70	96	57	88	12	32	81	436
2021	66	91	57	80	9	27	80	410
2022	62	85	50	83	3	25	85	393
2023	58	98	53	90	4	33	83	419
2024	59	98	43	79	4	29	89	401

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 Lister Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	430	32.0	13.4	0
1989	502	30.0	16.7	n/a
1990	417	31.0	13.4	0
1991	446	30.5	14.6	n/a
1992	431	29.3	14.7	n/a
1993	437	29.0	15.1	n/a
1994	433	30.0	14.4	n/a
1995	408	27.3	14.9	n/a
1996	408	27.3	14.9	n/a
1997	389	26.5	14.7	n/a
1998	407	25.2	16.2	n/a
1999	434	24.1	18.0	n/a
2000	430	19.7	21.8	n/a
2001	469	25.3	18.5	n/a
2002	532	25.9	20.5	86.5
2003	532	25.9	20.5	86.5
2004	478	26.0	18.4	83.7
2005	376	26.5	14.2	71
2006	385	23.4	16.5	82.1
2007	426	26.4	16.1	96
2008	429	28.0	15.3	89.5
2009	398	28.0	14.2	94.2
2010	397	26.2	15.1	99.2
2011	429	25.7	16.6	78.6
2012	502	27.3	18.3	69.7
2013	511	27.4	18.6	90.4
2014	534	n/a	n/a	88.4
2015	532	33.0	16.1	88.9
2016	525	31.0	16.9	90.3
2017	486	28.3	17.1	88.5
2018	440	28.9	15.1	87.3
2019	412	25.0	16.4	77.7
2020	436	25.2	17.2	83.5
2021	410	28.2	14.5	77.3
2022	393	25.1	15.6	56.7
2023	419	28.2	14.8	84.2
2024	401	25.5	15.6	87.5

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 Lister Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	430	32.0	13.4	0
1989	502	30.0	16.7	n/a
1990	417	31.0	13.4	0
1991	446	30.5	14.6	n/a
1992	431	29.3	14.7	n/a
1993	437	29.0	15.1	n/a
1994	433	30.0	14.4	n/a
1995	408	27.3	14.9	n/a
1996	408	27.3	14.9	n/a
1997	389	26.5	14.7	n/a
1998	407	25.2	16.2	n/a
1999	434	24.1	18.0	n/a
2000	430	19.7	21.8	n/a
2001	469	25.3	18.5	n/a
2002	532	25.9	20.5	86.5
2003	532	25.9	20.5	86.5
2004	478	26.0	18.4	83.7
2005	376	26.5	14.2	71
2006	385	23.4	16.5	82.1
2007	426	26.4	16.1	96
2008	429	28.0	15.3	89.5
2009	398	28.0	14.2	94.2
2010	397	26.2	15.1	99.2
2011	429	25.7	16.6	78.6
2012	502	27.3	18.3	69.7
2013	511	27.4	18.6	90.4
2014	534	n/a	n/a	88.4
2015	532	33.0	16.1	88.9
2016	525	31.0	16.9	90.3
2017	486	28.3	17.1	88.5
2018	440	28.9	15.1	87.3
2019	412	25.0	16.4	77.7
2020	436	25.2	17.2	83.5
2021	410	28.2	14.5	77.3
2022	393	25.1	15.6	56.7
2023	419	28.2	14.8	84.2
2024	401	25.5	15.6	87.5

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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