Ballou Jr High

As a moderately sized 6-8 campus in Puyallup, Washington, Ballou Jr High caters to 852 students from grades 7 through 9, overseen by Puyallup School District. Compared to the state average of about 577 students per school, that is 48% bigger than typical.

Ballou Jr High is one of 37 schools operated by Puyallup School District, a district that instructs 23,026 students overall.

On the student-mix side, Ballou Jr High shows that the most-represented group is White (45%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. Other groups include 20% Hispanic, 15% multiracial, 9% Black, 6% Asian. That is considerably less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 64%.

Looking at school resources, Ballou Jr High logs 39 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 22.0:1. The state averages around 18.9:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Around 49% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

After controlling for student poverty, Ballou Jr High sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 47.0%; this one delivers 43.6%.

In the area at large, census data for Pierce County shows the typical household earns roughly $99,564 per year, about 31% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 6%. Across Pierce County's 287 public schools (combined enrollment of about 138,462 students), Ballou Jr High is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Firgrove Elementary, roughly 0.2 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 6 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Ballou Jr High ranks 4th on composite proficiency, higher than the local average of 43.2%.

Ballou Jr High operates from a residential location.

Looking at the recent track record. Ballou Jr High's enrollment has stayed largely flat since 2018, when it stood at 869 (now 852). The White share of enrollment ticked down from 55% to 45% over that span. Class-load math has loosened: from 20.9:1 in 2018 to 22.0:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, members of the Ballou Jr High community share and discuss pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Members of the school community can share what they know.