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6.6avg / 10

Best Schools in Lacey, Washington

33 schools · 19 Elementary · 5 Middle · 6 High · 3 Other

Public: 24
Private: 9
Districts: 1
Avg Rating: 6.6/10
Estimated Scores: 27%
Move-ready shortlistcity map + schools

Choosing a school in Lacey?

Use this page to compare every school in Lacey by level, neighborhood, and district — and find the right fit, not just the top of the list.

Shortlist starter

Start with these real page-level signals, then use the full table and map below.

Pleasant Glade Elementary

8.7/10

Elementary · North Thurston Public Schools. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.

Lacey Elementary

8.4/10

Elementary · North Thurston Public Schools. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.

Lydia Hawk Elementary

8.1/10

Elementary · North Thurston Public Schools. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.

The short answer

The top-rated schools in Lacey for 2026 are Pleasant Glade Elementary (8.7/10), Lacey Elementary (8.4/10), and Lydia Hawk Elementary (8.1/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 24 rated schools. Ratings blend student growth, poverty-adjusted academic achievement, and school environment (plus college readiness for high schools), with equity shown as context, not scored; schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.

Schools

33

24 public · 9 private

Avg Score

6.6

out of 10

Median Home

$462,175

home value · ACS

District

1

serving the city

Best value · beats the odds
Pleasant Glade Elementary

Rates 8.7/10 despite 50% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 2.0 points higher than its student-poverty level predicts. Roughly as clean a case of strong results without an affluent-ZIP price tag as you'll find among Lacey schools.

Most improved · 2022 → 2024
Ignite Family Academy

STAAR proficiency rose +21.1 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among Lacey schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.

Top-Rated Schools in Lacey

Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (Top 10 of 24 rated schools; 33 schools in the directory). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.

#SchoolRating
1Pleasant Glade Elementary8.7 / 10
2Lacey Elementary8.4 / 10
3Lydia Hawk Elementary8.1 / 10
4Seven Oaks Elementary7.9 / 10
5Horizons Elementary7.6 / 10
6Woodland Elementary7.5 / 10
7Chinook Middle School7.2 / 10
8South Bay Elementary7.2 / 10
9Komachin Middle School7.1 / 10
10Aspire Middle School7.0 / 10

See every school — including those with estimated data — in the full directory below. How we rate schools.

Family Snapshot

At a glance
Avg school rating
6.6/10

39% of schools rated 7+

Median household income
$95,486

Census ACS, ZIPs in this city

Median home value
$462,175

Owner-occupied units

Bachelor's degree or higher
38%

Adults 25+

Avg commute
26 min

Workers age 16+

Owner-occupied homes
68%

Of occupied housing units

How Lacey compares

Washington rank

#51 of 193

cities by avg. school score

Vs. state average

+0.3

above Washington avg (6.3)

Median household income

$95k

107% of Washington median

Schools in this city

33

North Thurston Public Schools runs Lacey's public schools

24 public schools. North Thurston Public Schools is the only district on the page.

Every assigned public school in Lacey is a North Thurston Public Schools school (24 of 24).

Among 24 public schools with real test data, composite scores run from 4.2 to 8.7 — the spread is inside Lacey, not a citywide average.

About Schools in Lacey, Washington

Lacey, Washington has 24 ranked public schools with a city average of 5.9 out of 10. That average sits squarely in the middle of the national range, but the distribution matters more than the mean. Six schools — 25% of the ranked set — score 7 or higher, meaning a quarter of Lacey's public schools clear the bar that signals consistently strong academic performance.

The top performer is Lakes Elementary School at 8.1 out of 10, the highest score in the city and a clear standout among Lacey's elementary options. Olympic View Elementary follows closely at 7.9, giving families in that part of the city a second strong elementary choice. Evergreen Forest Elementary rounds out the elementary tier at 7.0. For older students, the options narrow but stay solid: Timberline High School and Aspire Middle School both score 7.4, placing them well above the city average at their respective grade levels.

Families weighing elementary placement have the most to work with here. Three elementary schools clear the 7-plus threshold, and the gap between Lakes at 8.1 and the city average at 5.9 is 2.2 points — a spread large enough to make school selection consequential at that level. Middle school families have one strong option in Aspire. High school families should look closely at Timberline, whose 7.4 puts it solidly above the city mean.

The 5.9 city average reflects a mixed landscape where performance varies meaningfully from school to school. The six high-performing schools are worth targeting, but they are not evenly distributed across grade levels or geography. Parents should map their address against specific attendance zones early in the search. In a city where one in four schools scores 7 or above, the difference between a 5-range school and an 8.1 often comes down to which side of a boundary line a family lands on — making address verification one of the most practical steps in the process.

Elementary Schools

19 schools
#SchoolRating
1507 students · Pre-K–5th8.7
2373 students · Kindergarten–5th8.4
3499 students · Kindergarten–5th8.1
4430 students · Pre-K–5th7.9
5561 students · Kindergarten–5th7.6
6460 students · Pre-K–5th7.5
7587 students · Pre-K–5th7.2
8735 students · Pre-K–5th6.8
9494 students · Kindergarten–5th6.5
10609 students · Kindergarten–5th6.1
Show all 19 elementary schools in Lacey

Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.

Middle Schools

5 schools
#SchoolRating
1710 students · 6th–8th7.2
2642 students · 6th–8th7.1
3306 students · 6th–8th7.0
4815 students · 6th–8th6.8
5787 students · 6th–8th6.8

High Schools

6 schools
#SchoolRating
1155 students · 9th–12th6.7
21,412 students · 9th–12th6.4
31,524 students · 9th–12th6.3
41,426 students · 9th–12th5.4
Private Schools2 schools

Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types.

1102 students · 9th–12thNot Rated
2127 students · 9th–12thNot Rated

Other Schools

3 schools
#SchoolRating
1365 students · Kindergarten–12th4.2
Private Schools2 schools

Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types.

1162 students · Pre-K–11thNot Rated
233 students · Kindergarten–11thNot Rated

Schools in Lacey

Lacey, Washington · 33 schools

Community Demographics

Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 4 ZIP codes

Median Income

$95,486

Median Home Value

$462,175

Median Rent

$1,737/mo

Population

127,191

College Educated

38%

Homeownership

68%

Avg Commute

26 min

Poverty Rate

9.9%

Community Profile

Lacey has a median household income of $95,486. It is an area where 38% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $462,175, with a median rent of $1,737/month. The local poverty rate of 9.9% is relatively low. The average commute for residents is 26 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.

Schools by Level

Elementary
19
Middle
5
High
6
Other
3

Other Major Cities in Washington

Top metros statewide by school count.

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about schools in Lacey, Washington

How many schools are in Lacey, Washington?

Lacey has 33 schools, including 24 public and 9 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.

What is the average school rating in Lacey, Washington?

The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Lacey is 6.6 out of 10, built from student growth, poverty-adjusted academic achievement, and school environment — plus college readiness for high schools.

What is the top-ranked school in Lacey, Washington?

The top-ranked school in Lacey on MySchoolScout is Pleasant Glade Elementary with a composite score of 8.7/10.

What is the best elementary school in Lacey, Washington?

The top-ranked elementary school in Lacey on MySchoolScout is Pleasant Glade Elementary with a composite score of 8.7/10.

What is the best middle school in Lacey, Washington?

The top-ranked middle school in Lacey on MySchoolScout is Chinook Middle School with a composite score of 7.2/10.

What is the best high school in Lacey, Washington?

The top-ranked high school in Lacey on MySchoolScout is Envision Career Academy with a composite score of 6.7/10.

How many school districts serve Lacey, Washington?

Lacey is served by 1 school district: North Thurston Public Schools.

What is the education level in Lacey, Washington?

According to Census data, 38% of adults in Lacey have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the median income in Lacey, Washington?

The median household income in Lacey is approximately $95,486 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.

Are there private schools in Lacey, Washington?

Yes, Lacey has 9 private schools alongside 24 public schools. The top-rated private school is Holy Family School with a score of 8.2/10.

What is the student-teacher ratio in Lacey, Washington?

The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Lacey is 15.9:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.

How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Lacey, Washington?

MySchoolScout rates schools using publicly available data from the NCES Common Core of Data and state education departments. Each school receives a 1-10 composite score built from Student Growth, Poverty-Adjusted Academic Achievement, and School Environment — plus College Readiness for high schools. Weights vary by school level, and equity data is shown for context but not scored.

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Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Washington Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.