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Public middle school · Tacoma School District · Tacoma, Washington

Hilltop Heritage Middle School

Hilltop Heritage Middle School rates 3.5, below most Tacoma School District middle schools, whose rated median is 5.5.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
3.5this school

3.5 on a one-to-ten scale; the Tacoma School District median is 5.5.

#2,211 of 2,251 schools in Washington · Tacoma School District: 13 middle schools rated, median 5.5

The brief

A Tacoma School District middle school where students score 12 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 2,211 of 2,251 schools in Washington and 60 of 63 in Tacoma School District.

Hilltop Heritage Middle School is listed in Tacoma 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.

Math20%21 points below the Washington average of 41%2026 SBA
Reading33%18 points below the Washington average of 51%2026 SBA
Proficiency has fallen 6 points since 2024, to 26% in 2026, across a 3-year record (2024–2026).2026 SBA; 54 test records from WA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
3.1
40% of the rating
Academics
3.2
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
4.7
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026

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 · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 30% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 42% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

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 · 2026 SBA · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2026 SBA. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2026 SBA · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2026 SBA. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · 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 98403; 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, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

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

The area

Median income
$86,179
Median home value
$737,100
Median rent
$1,414/mo
College educated
64.4%
Homeownership
40%
Poverty rate
7.4%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 98403; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
85
Very Walkable
Bike Score
64
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

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
64.5%
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. 7.3Compare →
  2. 7.2Compare →
  3. 6.3Compare →
  4. 5.8Compare →
  5. 5.3Compare →
  6. 4.9Compare →
  7. 4.5Compare →
  8. Hilltop Heritage Middle Schoolthis school
    3.5
  9. not ratedCompare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and seven rate higher than Hilltop Heritage Middle School among the rated peers.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 Hilltop Heritage Middle School serve?

Hilltop Heritage Middle School serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend Hilltop Heritage Middle School?

Hilltop Heritage Middle School has an enrollment of approximately 479 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Hilltop Heritage Middle School?

The student-teacher ratio at Hilltop Heritage Middle School is 17.1:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Hilltop Heritage Middle School rank in WA?

Hilltop Heritage Middle School ranks #2,211 of 2,251 schools in WA.

What is Hilltop Heritage Middle School's MySchoolScout rating?

Hilltop Heritage Middle School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 3.5 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 Hilltop Heritage Middle School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Hilltop Heritage Middle School has 30% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 42% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is Hilltop Heritage Middle School a charter school?

No, Hilltop Heritage Middle School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Hilltop Heritage Middle School a Title I school?

No, Hilltop Heritage Middle School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Hilltop Heritage Middle School?

64.5% of students at Hilltop Heritage Middle 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
6th – 8th
Enrollment
479
Student-teacher ratio
17.1:1
Teachers (FTE)
28
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Midsize City
County
Pierce County
Rank in district
#60 of 63
Schools in district
69
District spending per student
$19,679
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
14.6%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 98403)
8,586
Area average commute
26.4 min
Area median age
38.4

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.