Is Point Defiance Elementary School a good school?

Point Defiance Elementary School ranks 237 th of 1168 Washington elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Point Defiance Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 300 students attended Point Defiance Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Point Defiance Elementary School?

Students at Point Defiance Elementary School are 66% White, 11% Two or more races, 10% Hispanic, 6% Asian, 4% African American, 2% American Indian, 2% Pacific Islander.

What schools do graduates of Point Defiance Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Point Defiance Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Truman Middle School High : Dr. Dolores Silas High School

Point Defiance Elementary School

Summary:

Point Defiance Elementary School is a public elementary school in Tacoma, Washington, serving 333 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school consistently outperforms the Tacoma School District and the state of Washington in academic proficiency, with 69.48% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 59.74% proficient or better in math, compared to the district and state averages.

Point Defiance Elementary School has a more diverse student population than some nearby schools, with 66.67% White, 3.6% African American, 8.71% Hispanic, 6.61% Asian, and 11.71% two or more races. The school also has a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (26.43%) compared to the district average. Additionally, Point Defiance spends $18,641 per student, which is higher than the district's average of $16,777 per student.

While Point Defiance Elementary School is a high-performing school, it may need to continue addressing any potential equity issues to ensure that all students, regardless of their background, are receiving the support they need to succeed. Compared to nearby schools like Geiger Montessori School, Lowell Elementary School, and Delong Elementary School, Point Defiance stands out for its strong academic performance and higher spending per student.

Detail:

Public K-5

4330 N Visscher St
Tacoma, WA 98407

(253) 571-6900

District: Tacoma School District

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,641

Students who attend Point Defiance Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Truman Middle School
High:	Dr. Dolores Silas High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.6

Number of students: 300

Racial breakdown:

White:

65.7%

Two or more races:

10.7%

Hispanic:

10.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 34.3%

See top rated Washington elementary schools

Compare Point Defiance Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Point Defiance Elementary School ranks better than 79.7% of elementary schools in Washington. It also ranks 7^th among 35 ranked elementary schools in the Tacoma School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 78.34. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (65.7%), two or more races (10.7%), Hispanic (10%). (See more...)

Compare Details 34.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Point Defiance Elementary School is 14.6, which is the 5^th best among 35 elementary schools in the Tacoma School District. (See more...)

Compare Point Defiance Elementary School employs 20.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Point Defiance Elementary School is $18,641. 30 elementary schools in the Tacoma School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Point Defiance Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Point Defiance Elementary School 237^th of 1168 Washington public elementary schools. (See Point Defiance Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Tacoma School District:

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

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Rank History for Point Defiance Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Point Defiance Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	51.85	506^th	1026	50.7%
2005	48.17	555^th	1031	46.2%
2006	46.86	588^th	1051	44.1%
2007	45.33	617^th	1069	42.3%
2008	48.25	588^th	1067	44.9%
2009	49.58	568^th	1072	47.0%
2010	54.82	484^th	1088	55.5%
2011	42.68	650^th	1092	40.5%
2012	69.40	313^th	1097	71.5%
2013	69.26	314^th	1106	71.6%
2015	67.80	313^th	1067	70.7%
2016	68.94	319^th	1053	69.7%
2017	72.33	283^rd	1056	73.2%
2018	79.17	204^th	1054	80.6%
2019	77.54	233^rd	1130	79.4%
2021	61.29	400^th	1107	63.9%
2022	68.87	337^th	1169	71.2%
2023	69.09	335^th	1169	71.3%
2024	78.34	237^th	1168	79.7%

See the entire list of Washington Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Point Defiance Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	65.51	92^nd	303	69.6%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Point Defiance Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	81.56	75^th	835	91.0%
2019	80.99	84^th	979	91.4%
2022	80.60	91^st	1019	91.1%
2023	64.89	299^th	1013	70.5%
2024	72.48	208^th	1024	79.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at Point Defiance Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	68.14	314^th	1004	68.7%
2019	73.51	272^nd	1068	74.5%
2021	64.29	329^th	1008	67.4%
2022	60.55	401^st	1100	63.5%
2023	69.94	294^th	1094	73.1%
2024	72.93	264^th	1093	75.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at Point Defiance Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	85.65	118^th	999	88.2%
2019	78.49	211^th	1075	80.4%
2021	51.26	447^th	1025	56.4%
2022	72.39	284^th	1113	74.5%
2023	63.99	362^nd	1099	67.1%
2024	78.52	214^th	1099	80.5%

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

Rank History for White students at Point Defiance Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	69.92	251^st	833	69.9%
2019	70.11	306^th	1027	70.2%
2021	50.02	458^th	943	51.4%
2022	71.80	283^rd	1031	72.6%
2023	62.04	377^th	1011	62.7%
2024	74.22	247^th	1009	75.5%

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

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Enrollment information for Point Defiance Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	418	46	25	10	7	n/a	n/a	506
1989	478	39	26	12	8	n/a	n/a	563
1990	443	54	34	20	7	n/a	n/a	558
1991	445	57	37	18	5	n/a	n/a	562
1992	427	49	43	14	4	n/a	n/a	537
1993	428	57	35	8	5	n/a	n/a	533
1994	437	44	31	9	2	n/a	n/a	523
1995	383	52	32	12	2	n/a	n/a	481
1996	383	52	32	12	2	n/a	n/a	481
1997	416	48	32	11	1	n/a	n/a	508
1998	419	55	29	18	1	n/a	n/a	522
1999	392	42	26	20	0	n/a	n/a	480
2000	381	37	24	20	2	n/a	n/a	464
2001	330	40	21	17	4	n/a	n/a	412
2002	320	46	20	17	3	n/a	n/a	406
2003	320	46	20	17	3	n/a	n/a	406
2004	356	52	20	18	0	n/a	n/a	446
2005	347	51	25	20	1	n/a	n/a	444
2006	307	32	26	24	1	n/a	n/a	390
2007	286	32	21	21	1	n/a	n/a	361
2008	266	40	24	19	7	n/a	n/a	356
2009	267	50	33	22	3	n/a	n/a	375
2010	290	57	30	26	2	n/a	n/a	405
2011	280	40	26	27	5	5	11	394
2012	282	43	32	34	5	2	24	422
2013	304	54	35	36	7	3	2	441
2014	294	50	35	44	6	4	8	441
2015	290	47	27	44	7	3	10	428
2016	286	45	21	47	7	3	32	441
2017	298	31	17	50	5	1	36	438
2018	261	21	12	46	5	1	47	393
2019	247	24	14	42	4	2	52	385
2020	255	18	13	47	7	1	61	402
2021	206	15	11	41	5	1	59	338
2022	215	11	16	34	2	4	47	329
2023	222	12	22	29	5	4	39	333
2024	197	11	19	30	6	5	32	300

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 Point Defiance Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	506	25.0	20.2	0
1989	563	27.0	20.8	n/a
1990	558	28.4	19.6	0
1991	562	28.6	19.6	n/a
1992	537	27.6	19.4	n/a
1993	533	27.3	19.5	n/a
1994	523	28.3	18.5	n/a
1995	481	24.6	19.6	n/a
1996	481	24.6	19.6	n/a
1997	508	24.2	21.0	n/a
1998	522	23.9	21.8	n/a
1999	480	23.7	20.3	n/a
2000	464	21.7	21.4	n/a
2001	412	21.7	19.0	n/a
2002	406	21.1	19.2	36.7
2003	406	21.1	19.2	36.7
2004	446	22.0	20.3	45.3
2005	444	22.1	20.1	41.9
2006	390	19.7	19.8	42.8
2007	361	20.1	18.0	44
2008	356	19.1	18.6	42.4
2009	375	19.1	19.6	60
2010	405	21.0	19.2	66.7
2011	394	21.4	18.3	53.3
2012	422	22.5	18.7	42.7
2013	441	22.5	19.6	52.2
2014	441	n/a	n/a	48.8
2015	428	27.0	15.8	47.7
2016	441	22.0	20.0	46.3
2017	438	24.5	17.8	42
2018	393	20.7	18.9	35.9
2019	385	20.2	19.0	32.2
2020	402	19.4	20.6	30.3
2021	338	22.1	15.2	33.4
2022	329	20.1	16.3	16.1
2023	333	20.5	16.2	26.4
2024	300	20.5	14.6	34.3

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 Point Defiance Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	506	25.0	20.2	0
1989	563	27.0	20.8	n/a
1990	558	28.4	19.6	0
1991	562	28.6	19.6	n/a
1992	537	27.6	19.4	n/a
1993	533	27.3	19.5	n/a
1994	523	28.3	18.5	n/a
1995	481	24.6	19.6	n/a
1996	481	24.6	19.6	n/a
1997	508	24.2	21.0	n/a
1998	522	23.9	21.8	n/a
1999	480	23.7	20.3	n/a
2000	464	21.7	21.4	n/a
2001	412	21.7	19.0	n/a
2002	406	21.1	19.2	36.7
2003	406	21.1	19.2	36.7
2004	446	22.0	20.3	45.3
2005	444	22.1	20.1	41.9
2006	390	19.7	19.8	42.8
2007	361	20.1	18.0	44
2008	356	19.1	18.6	42.4
2009	375	19.1	19.6	60
2010	405	21.0	19.2	66.7
2011	394	21.4	18.3	53.3
2012	422	22.5	18.7	42.7
2013	441	22.5	19.6	52.2
2014	441	n/a	n/a	48.8
2015	428	27.0	15.8	47.7
2016	441	22.0	20.0	46.3
2017	438	24.5	17.8	42
2018	393	20.7	18.9	35.9
2019	385	20.2	19.0	32.2
2020	402	19.4	20.6	30.3
2021	338	22.1	15.2	33.4
2022	329	20.1	16.3	16.1
2023	333	20.5	16.2	26.4
2024	300	20.5	14.6	34.3

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.

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