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Public high school · Franklin Pierce School District · Tacoma, Washington

Gates Secondary School

Gates Secondary School rates 7.6, among the strongest high schools in Franklin Pierce School District, where the rated median is 6.1.

High schools, 1 to 10This campus against public high schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
7.6this school

7.6 on a one-to-ten scale; the Franklin Pierce School District median is 6.1.

#469 of 2,251 schools in Washington · Franklin Pierce School District: 3 high schools rated, median 6.1

The brief

A Franklin Pierce School District high school where students score 14 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 469 of 2,251 schools in Washington and 3 of 14 in Franklin Pierce School District.

Gates Secondary School is listed in Franklin Pierce School District, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math25%8 students tested · state average not published · 2019 EdFacts
Reading75%13 students tested · state average not published · 2019 EdFacts
Proficiency has improved 6 points since 2016, reaching 50% in 2019, across a 11-year record (2009–2019).2019 EdFacts; 28 test records from WA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
7.7
25% of the rating
Academics
8.2
25% of the rating
College Readiness
5.5
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
9.9
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2024

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 4/4 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 20% (multi-year average, 2009-2019) · reading/ELA 58% (multi-year average, 2009-2019).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2019 EdFacts · Low confidence
  • Older source: 2019 EdFacts. Use as historical context.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2019 EdFacts · Low confidence
  • Older source: 2019 EdFacts. Use as historical context.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 98444; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2019; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Gates Secondary School and the 20 nearest high schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$64,464
Median home value
$369,500
Median rent
$1,581/mo
College educated
15.2%
Homeownership
45.8%
Poverty rate
14.6%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 98444; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
54
Somewhat Walkable
Bike Score
43
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
4,845/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Tacoma. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Tacoma), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Advanced STEM courses
1 of 5
Algebra II, Advanced Math, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
68.4%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Gates Secondary Schoolthis school
    7.6
  2. 7.2Compare →
  3. 6.1Compare →
  4. 5.8Compare →
  5. 5.8Compare →
  6. 5.7Compare →
  7. 5.0Compare →
  8. 3.9Compare →
  9. 2.5Compare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and none rates higher than Gates Secondary School.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Gates Secondary School serve?

Gates Secondary School serves students in grades 8th through 12th.

How many students attend Gates Secondary School?

Gates Secondary School has an enrollment of approximately 98 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Gates Secondary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Gates Secondary School is 8.9:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Gates Secondary School rank in WA?

Gates Secondary School ranks #469 of 2,251 schools in WA.

What is Gates Secondary School's MySchoolScout rating?

Gates Secondary School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.6 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Gates Secondary School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Gates Secondary School has 20% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2019) and 58% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2019).

Is Gates Secondary School a charter school?

No, Gates Secondary School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Gates Secondary School a Title I school?

No, Gates Secondary School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Gates Secondary School?

68.4% of students at Gates Secondary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
8th – 12th
Enrollment
98
Student-teacher ratio
8.9:1
Teachers (FTE)
11
Type
Alternative
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Pierce County
4-year graduation
70–74%
Class of 2023
Rank in district
#3 of 14
Schools in district
15
District spending per student
$19,065
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
16.4%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 98444)
35,660
Area average commute
30.3 min
Area median age
34.1

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

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.