operational schools · 2023–24
School district or education agency · NCES 5300420
Bellingham School District
Bellingham, WA
Students11,487
Student membership reported by NCES for 2023–24.
students in linked records
federal comparable series
per student
District, state and country
How does this district compare?
State and national figures use the same measure and reporting period. They are weighted by students or staffing whenever the source provides a denominator.
MeasureDistrictWAUnited States
Academic standing2019
48th percentile51st percentile49th percentileThis district is 3 percentile points lower than the state figure and 1 percentile points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students chronically absent2022–23
40.9%34.7%27.8%This district is 6.2 percentage points higher than the state figure and 13.1 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Revenue per studentFY 2023
$22,050$20,926$19,509This district is $1,124 per student higher than the state figure and $2,541 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Spending per studentFY 2023
$17,886$17,891$15,859This district is $5 per student lower than the state figure and $2,027 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Capital outlay per studentFY 2023
$3,023$2,217$1,964This district is $806 per student higher than the state figure and $1,059 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Equipment spending per studentFY 2023
$96$371$336This district is $275 per student lower than the state figure and $240 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Special-education spending per studentFY 2023
$2,853$2,551$1,793This district is $302 per student higher than the state figure and $1,060 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Salaries per studentFY 2023
$11,511$10,895$8,742This district is $616 per student higher than the state figure and $2,769 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Benefits per studentFY 2023
$4,274$4,083$3,769This district is $191 per student higher than the state figure and $505 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023
$27,288$14,411$11,715This district is $12,877 per student higher than the state figure and $15,573 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Debt retired per studentFY 2023
$1,098$1,213$869This district is $115 per student lower than the state figure and $229 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Students per teacher2023–24
17:117:115:1This district is about the same as the state figure and 2.0 students per teacher higher than the U.S. figure.
Students per counselor2023–24
397:1363:1376:1This district is 34 students per counselor higher than the state figure and 21 students per counselor higher than the U.S. figure.
District staff per 1,000 students2023–24
115.4112.9138.9This district is 2.5 staff per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 23.5 staff per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24
12.512.818.5This district is 0.3 aides per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 6.0 aides per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24
1.11.00.9This district is 0.1 psychologists per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 0.2 psychologists per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.
Regular diplomas among completers2023–24
100.0%99.9%99.0%This district is 0.1 percentage points higher than the state figure and 1.0 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–122023–24
4.6%4.3%2.6%This district is 0.3 percentage points higher than the state figure and 2.0 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Pre-K students as a share of enrollment2023–24
0.9%2.3%2.9%This district is 1.4 percentage points lower than the state figure and 2.0 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students learning English2021–22 · reporting schools
6.8%12.8%12.0%This district is 6.1 percentage points lower than the state figure and 5.3 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schools
15.3%13.1%14.0%This district is 2.2 percentage points higher than the state figure and 1.3 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · reporting schools
6.3%3.5%3.9%This district is 2.7 percentage points higher than the state figure and 2.4 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Teachers reported as certified2021–22 · reporting schools
100.0%97.2%95.8%This district is 2.8 percentage points higher than the state figure and 4.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment change2021–22 to 2023–24
+0.4%+1.2%+0.5%This district is 0.8 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.1 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals2021–22 · valid district records
30.8%43.3%50.6%This district is 12.5 percentage points lower than the state figure and 19.8 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students without disabilities2021–22 · matched enrollment
1.7%2.5%4.5%This district is 0.8 percentage points lower than the state figure and 2.8 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollment
5.7%6.2%9.0%This district is 0.5 percentage points lower than the state figure and 3.3 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · matched enrollment
3.0%3.7%6.7%This district is 0.7 percentage points lower than the state figure and 3.7 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students enrolled in district distance education2021–22 · matched enrollment
3.9%7.9%5.1%This district is 4.0 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
School-age children in poverty2024 Census estimate
7.5%10.6%14.4%This district is 3.1 percentage points lower than the state figure and 6.9 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment · 2023–24
Who attends this district?
Pre-K109 students
0.9%Kindergarten–grade 54,974 students
43.3%Grades 6–82,485 students
21.6%Grades 9–123,919 students
34.1%See enrollment for every grade
Pre-Kindergarten109
Kindergarten946
Grade 1769
Grade 2826
Grade 3810
Grade 4782
Grade 5841
Grade 6829
Grade 7811
Grade 8845
Grade 9920
Grade 10982
Grade 11882
Grade 121,135
Students by race and ethnicity
Final NCES Common Core of Data membership file, 2023–24. Suppressed or missing cells are not estimated.
Early learning · 2023–24
How much public pre-K is reported?
Pre-K students as a share of district enrollment
Final NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2023–24. Enrollment shows children attending district-run public pre-K. It does not show open seats, waitlists, private providers, program hours, eligibility or the cost to families.
Current staffing · 2023–24
How many staff members support students?
See detailed staffing
Pre-K teachers3.5 FTE
Kindergarten teachers74.9 FTE
Elementary teachers304.2 FTE
Secondary teachers288.8 FTE
Elementary school counselors8 FTE
Secondary school counselors20.9 FTE
Instructional coordinators41.4 FTE
District administrators19.3 FTE
District administrative support37.4 FTE
School administrative support46.8 FTE
Other support staff229.5 FTE
Final NCES Common Core of Data staff file, 2023–24. These are full-time-equivalent positions, not employee headcounts, vacancies or caseloads.
High-school outcomes · 2023–24
How many students completed school or dropped out?
Regular diplomas among completers
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–12
Final NCES Common Core of Data completer and dropout files, 2023–24. The dropout rate divides the reported annual grades 9–12 dropout count by complete grades 9–12 enrollment. It is not a cohort graduation rate. The diploma share describes credentials among completers and should not be read as a graduation rate.
Graduation · 2022–23
How many students graduated within four years?
Loading the district's official graduation record…
Learning support · 2021–22 federal snapshot
How many students may need specialized support?
Counts and shares use only schools with a usable value for that measure. The reporting-school denominator prevents missing schools from being counted as zero.
6.8%Students learning English780 students · 25 of 25 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
15.3%Students receiving IDEA special-education services1,765 students · 25 of 25 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
6.3%Students with Section 504 plans725 students · 24 of 25 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
1.4%English learners also receiving IDEA services160 students · 25 of 25 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Public-use counts are privacy-protected. These figures describe the reporting year, not current enrollment, diagnoses, service quality or unmet need.
Teacher quality and early learning · 2021–22
What did the district report about teachers and preschool?
Teacher certification comparison
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Certification status is district-reported and may not match current staffing. Preschool counts cover the federal reporting year and are not a measure of available seats.
Community context · 2024
How many school-age children live in poverty?
This Census estimate provides context about families in the district. It does not measure school quality or describe every student enrolled in the district.
U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. The estimate covers related children ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty and uses 2024–25 district boundaries.
District geography · 2024–25
What area does this district cover?
NCES publishes a geographic boundary for traditional school districts. Charter agencies and some special-purpose agencies may not have one.
Loading the official district boundary…
Source: NCES EDGE School District Boundaries, school year 2024–25.
Comparable districts
Districts serving a similar student population
These peers are matched using enrollment and available student population measures. Districts in WA receive geographic preference, but a closer national match may appear when it is more comparable. Open any profile for a full comparison.
Central Kitsap School DistrictBremerton, WA11,116 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Battle Ground School DistrictAmboy, WA12,421 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Sumner School DistrictBonney Lake, WA10,674 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Mead School DistrictSpokane, WA10,410 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Clover Park School DistrictLakewood, WA12,395 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →
District makeup
What kinds of schools are in the district?
School levels, settings and types use the NCES 2021–22 directory matched to the federal civil-rights collection.
District finances
How is the district funded, and how does it spend?
Sources of funds
Where the money comes from
Share of district revenue supplied by each level of government.
Uses of funds
Where the money goes
Annual spending for each enrolled student.
Revenue by source: percentages and dollars
How operating money was used
People costs
Equipment, buildings and debt
Selected federal program revenue
What changed since FY 2022
FY 2022$16,802
→FY 2023$17,886
FY 2022$4,653
→FY 2023$3,023
FY 2022$28,820
→FY 2023$27,288
Revenue shares and spending categories answer different questions and should not be added together. Source: NCES F-33 district finance, FY 2023.
Attendance
How has chronic absence changed?
2,808 of 11,370 students
1,934 of 11,320 students
4,716 of 11,530 students
Specialized support and security · 2021–22
What specialized roles were reported?
Staffing is reported as full-time equivalents in the 2021–22 CRDC collection.
Learning opportunities
What do district schools offer?
Algebra I6 reporting schools
67%
Calculus6 reporting schools
50%
Biology6 reporting schools
67%
Chemistry6 reporting schools
50%
Physics6 reporting schools
67%
Computer science6 reporting schools
50%
Advanced Placement6 reporting schools
50%
Dual enrollment6 reporting schools
67%
Gifted programs25 reporting schools
92%
International Baccalaureate6 reporting schools
0%
Athletics6 reporting schools
50%
Shares use only schools for which the program was applicable and reported. A districtwide percentage does not guarantee availability at every grade or campus. Source: 2021–22 CRDC.
Safety and discipline
What was reported across district schools?
254Out-of-school suspensions25 reporting schoolsSee schools →115In-school suspensions25 reporting schoolsSee schools →1Law-enforcement referrals25 reporting schoolsSee schools →0School-related arrests25 reporting schoolsSee schools →35Physical restraint4 reporting schoolsSee schools →12Seclusion2 reporting schoolsSee schools →
Counts are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Open a measure to see the schools behind the district total.
Technology and safety · 2021–22
What access and incident data is available?
Technology and incident figures are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Device counts describe the reporting year, not current inventory.
Six questions parents ask
What the available data says
Each answer shows its reporting year and opens a deeper comparison. Missing and suppressed results are never shown as zero.
Are students making academic progress?1 years of resultsLatest research estimate: 2019Explore and compare →Are students missing too much school?40.9% chronically absent2022–23 · 11,530 students measuredExplore and compare →Is the district improving?No comparable trendCompare the earliest and latest available yearsExplore and compare →Where are student-group gaps largest?No comparable group resultSuppressed or unavailableExplore and compare →How much does the district spend?$17,886current spending per studentExplore and compare →Does the district have enough support staff?397:1 counselor ratioStudents per counselor in the 2023–24 federal staffing fileExplore and compare →
8 of 8 national data layers are matched to this NCES district ID. Identity and school counts use NCES records. Academic estimates use SEDA, attendance uses EDFacts, finance uses NCES F-33, staffing and enrollment use 2023–24 NCES CCD where available, teacher certification, preschool and policy fields use the 2021–22 CRDC, and community poverty context uses Census SAIPE. Four-year graduation rates use 2022–23 EDFacts. Every detailed view preserves its reporting year.
See all sources →