Nautilus K-8 School

Located at 1000 S 289TH ST, in FEDERAL WAY, Washington, Nautilus K-8 School is a mid-sized K-5 school that teaches 469 students (grades K through 8), overseen by Federal Way School District. Compared to the state average of about 380 students per school, that is 23% larger than typical.

Nautilus K-8 School is one of 43 schools operated by Federal Way School District, a district that serves 22,250 students overall.

Demographically, Nautilus K-8 School lists that the most-represented group is Hispanic (33%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. Beyond that, the school records 24% White, 16% multiracial, 13% Asian, 11% Black. That is visibly more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 11%.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 29 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 16.5:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 17.3:1, putting Nautilus K-8 School tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 66% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against King County (around 38%), the school's rate is north of typical.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Nautilus K-8 School performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 35.7%, the actual is 44.3%, a residual of +8.6 points.

Around the school, ACS estimates for King County put the typical household earns roughly $124,746 per year, roughly 57% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, King County runs 544 public schools (combined enrollment of about 278,492 students), of which Nautilus K-8 School is one.

The closest other public school is Sacajawea Middle School, roughly 0.6 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Nautilus K-8 School at 1st of 9; the average score across the group is 27.3%.

The campus sits in an outer-ring setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count decreased 14%: 543 students in 2018 compared to 469 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share shrank from 34% to 24%. Class-load math has fell: from 17.9:1 in 2018 to 16.5:1 in 2025.

On this page, recent activity here tends to focus on pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.