operational schools · 2023–24
School district or education agency · NCES 5303540
Highline School District
Seattle, WA
Students17,823
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 standing2025
20th percentile47th percentile45th percentileThis district is 27 percentile points lower than the state figure and 25 percentile points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students chronically absent2022–23
47.8%34.7%27.8%This district is 13.1 percentage points higher than the state figure and 20.0 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Revenue per studentFY 2023
$24,593$20,926$19,509This district is $3,667 per student higher than the state figure and $5,084 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Spending per studentFY 2023
$20,594$17,891$15,859This district is $2,703 per student higher than the state figure and $4,735 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Capital outlay per studentFY 2023
$2,127$2,217$1,964This district is $90 per student lower than the state figure and $163 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Equipment spending per studentFY 2023
$41$371$336This district is $330 per student lower than the state figure and $295 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Special-education spending per studentFY 2023
$3,084$2,551$1,793This district is $533 per student higher than the state figure and $1,291 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Salaries per studentFY 2023
$12,513$10,895$8,742This district is $1,618 per student higher than the state figure and $3,771 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Benefits per studentFY 2023
$4,568$4,083$3,769This district is $485 per student higher than the state figure and $799 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023
$32,831$14,411$11,715This district is $18,420 per student higher than the state figure and $21,116 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Debt retired per studentFY 2023
$3,684$1,213$869This district is $2,471 per student higher than the state figure and $2,815 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
268:1363:1376:1This district is 95 students per counselor lower than the state figure and 108 students per counselor lower than the U.S. figure.
District staff per 1,000 students2023–24
128.2112.9138.9This district is 15.3 staff per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 10.7 staff per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24
15.812.818.5This district is 3.0 aides per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 2.7 aides per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24
1.41.00.9This district is 0.4 psychologists per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 0.5 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
7.3%4.3%2.6%This district is 3.0 percentage points higher than the state figure and 4.7 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Pre-K students as a share of enrollment2023–24
3.1%2.3%2.9%This district is 0.8 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students learning English2021–22 · reporting schools
34.5%12.8%12.0%This district is 21.7 percentage points higher than the state figure and 22.5 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schools
14.9%13.1%14.0%This district is 1.8 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.9 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · reporting schools
1.5%3.5%3.9%This district is 2.0 percentage points lower than the state figure and 2.4 percentage points lower 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
-3.6%+1.2%+0.5%This district is 4.8 percentage points lower than the state figure and 4.1 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals2021–22 · valid district records
67.4%43.3%50.6%This district is 24.1 percentage points higher than the state figure and 16.8 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students without disabilities2021–22 · matched enrollment
2.8%2.5%4.5%This district is 0.3 percentage points higher than the state figure and 1.7 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollment
4.8%6.2%9.0%This district is 1.4 percentage points lower than the state figure and 4.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · matched enrollment
3.9%3.7%6.7%This district is 0.2 percentage points higher than the state figure and 2.8 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students enrolled in district distance education2021–22 · matched enrollment
5.8%7.9%5.1%This district is 2.1 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.7 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
School-age children in poverty2024 Census estimate
16.9%10.6%14.4%This district is 6.3 percentage points higher than the state figure and 2.5 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment · 2023–24
Who attends this district?
Pre-K556 students
3.1%Kindergarten–grade 57,661 students
43.0%Grades 6–83,494 students
19.6%Grades 9–126,112 students
34.3%See enrollment for every grade
Pre-Kindergarten556
Kindergarten1,262
Grade 11,297
Grade 21,295
Grade 31,240
Grade 41,258
Grade 51,309
Grade 61,190
Grade 71,129
Grade 81,175
Grade 91,464
Grade 101,563
Grade 111,455
Grade 121,630
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 teachers2.8 FTE
Kindergarten teachers86.1 FTE
Elementary teachers467.3 FTE
Secondary teachers472.9 FTE
Elementary school counselors25.7 FTE
Secondary school counselors40.8 FTE
Instructional coordinators159.6 FTE
District administrators35.9 FTE
District administrative support40.8 FTE
School administrative support84.5 FTE
Other support staff383.4 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.
34.5%Students learning English6,202 students · 37 of 38 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
14.9%Students receiving IDEA special-education services2,669 students · 37 of 38 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
1.5%Students with Section 504 plans256 students · 31 of 38 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
6.7%English learners also receiving IDEA services1,198 students · 37 of 38 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.
Auburn School DistrictPacific, WA18,107 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Pasco School DistrictPasco, WA18,840 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Kennewick School DistrictKennewick, WA18,805 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Ontario-MontclairOntario, CA17,944 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Yes Prep Public Schools IncHouston, TX17,622 studentsSimilar enrollment, English-learner enrollment, special-education enrollment · View profile →
Academic results · 2025
How do results differ among student groups?
White students1,648 assessments
52 out of 100Students not economically disadvantaged2,957 assessments
41 out of 100Asian students1,362 assessments
34 out of 100Fem4,583 assessments
22 out of 100Mal4,952 assessments
19 out of 100Black students1,243 assessments
17 out of 100Economically disadvantaged students6,578 assessments
14 out of 100Hispanic students2,920 assessments
11 out of 100A score of 50 marks the national 2019 midpoint. Higher numbers indicate stronger results on the comparable Stanford research scale. This is not a state proficiency rate.
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$19,077
→FY 2023$20,594
FY 2022$1,313
→FY 2023$2,127
FY 2022$19,725
→FY 2023$32,831
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?
6,683 of 18,201 students
3,611 of 17,968 students
8,372 of 17,518 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 I13 reporting schools
62%
Calculus13 reporting schools
31%
Biology13 reporting schools
54%
Chemistry13 reporting schools
46%
Physics13 reporting schools
54%
Computer science13 reporting schools
46%
Advanced Placement13 reporting schools
39%
Dual enrollment13 reporting schools
77%
Gifted programs36 reporting schools
75%
International Baccalaureate13 reporting schools
8%
Athletics12 reporting schools
33%
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?
516Out-of-school suspensions35 reporting schoolsSee schools →628In-school suspensions35 reporting schoolsSee schools →0Law-enforcement referrals35 reporting schoolsSee schools →0School-related arrests35 reporting schoolsSee schools →6Seclusion2 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?5 years of resultsLatest research estimate: 2025Explore and compare →Are students missing too much school?47.8% chronically absent2022–23 · 17,518 students measuredExplore and compare →Is the district improving?Declined overallCompare the earliest and latest available yearsExplore and compare →Where are student-group gaps largest?8 student groups2025 research estimatesExplore and compare →How much does the district spend?$20,594current spending per studentExplore and compare →Does the district have enough support staff?268:1 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 →