Pacific Middle School

Pacific Middle School, an average-sized intermediate school in Des Moines, Washington, overseen by Highline School District, hosts 604 students, covering grades 6 through 8.

Pacific Middle School is one of 36 schools operated by Highline School District, a district that teaches 18,072 students overall.

In terms of who attends, Pacific Middle School shows that the most-represented group is Hispanic (37%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. Other groups include 19% Asian, 17% Black, 14% White, 10% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 11% Hispanic, putting the school's mix meaningfully more Hispanic than the area baseline.

On the resource side, Staff filings list 33 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 18.5:1 students per teacher. The state averages about 18.9:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. About 74% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, King County runs at roughly 38%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat above the surrounding baseline.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Pacific Middle School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 30.3% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 20.4%.

Zooming out to the county, census data for King County shows 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. Across King County's 544 public schools (combined enrollment of about 278,492 students), Pacific Middle School is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Midway Elementary, around 0.1 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Pacific Middle School ranks 5th on composite proficiency, beneath the local average of 22.6%.

The campus sits in a residential setting.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged down 4%: 628 students in 2018 compared to 604 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share fell from 28% to 14%.

In the discussion threads here, recent activity here tends to focus on school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.