Science and Math Institute

Science and Math Institute is a secondary school of reasonably sized scale in Tacoma, Washington, run under Tacoma School District, instructing 597 students in grades 9 through 12.

Tacoma School District comprises 66 schools with combined enrollment of 28,900 students; Science and Math Institute is among them.

In terms of who attends, Science and Math Institute lists that 53% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Beyond that, the school lists 15% Hispanic, 14% multiracial, 8% Black, 7% Asian. The wider county runs roughly 64% White, putting the school's mix considerably less White than the area baseline.

Looking at school resources, On paper, Science and Math Institute has 29 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 20.5:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 21.6:1 average. An estimated 36% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, Pierce County runs at roughly 50%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully below the surrounding baseline.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Science and Math Institute sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 56.3%; this one delivers 53.4%.

Around the school, the surrounding county (Pierce County) logs that median household income runs about $99,564, roughly 31% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 6%. Science and Math Institute is one of 287 public schools in Pierce County (combined enrollment of about 138,462 students).

The closest other public school is Point Defiance Elementary School, roughly 1.0 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Science and Math Institute at 4th of 6; the average score across the group is 56.8%.

The campus sits in a downtown setting.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count climbed 23%: 484 students in 2018 compared to 597 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share shrank from 61% to 53%. Class-load math has loosened: from 18.4:1 in 2018 to 20.5:1 in 2025.

On allk12, recent activity here tends to focus on sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.