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What's the biggest difference between Truman Middle School and what you expected?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
438
Middle
DISTRICT 474 · STATE 577
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·TACOMA SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 530870001507
Truman Middle School
5801 N 35th St, Tacoma, WA 98407 · (253) 571-5600 · Pierce County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE12-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL438 STUDENTS
C
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 32% of Washington public middle schools
- B-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- CBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- CThree-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Washington public middle schools
Student : Teacher
20.8:1
21 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 18.0:1 · STATE 18.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
50%
217 students
DISTRICT 57% · STATE 51%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 143 | 33% |
| Grade 7 | 152 | 35% |
| Grade 8 | 143 | 33% |
Student demographics
66%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 78% · STATE 68% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
Smarter Balanced + WCAS 2024-25 . % Met or Exceeded StandardEnglish Language Arts
44.9%
WA avg 58.4% . -7.7pp since 2014
Math
33.9%
WA avg 51.2% . -10.1pp since 2014
What this means: On the Smarter Balanced + WCAS, Washington's statewide test, about 45 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 34 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Washington schools, those numbers are about 58 and 51. Reading and writing scores are down about 8 points since 2014, while math scores are down about 10 points.
Smarter Balanced + WCAS results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 44.9% | 33.9% |
| 2023-24 | 44.0% | 32.6% |
| 2022-23 | 47.4% | 26.8% |
| 2021-22 | 51.2% | 29.2% |
| 2018-19 | 49.3% | 34.8% |
| 2017-18 | 47.4% | 36.0% |
| 2016-17 | 47.1% | 36.3% |
| 2015-16 | 52.3% | 39.3% |
| 2014-15 | 52.6% | 44.0% |
% Met or Exceeded Standard, all students and all tested grades.
Source: Smarter Balanced + WCAS. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
38.3%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
47.0%
based on WA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-8.7pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 38% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 47% typical for Washington schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Washington's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Truman Middle School
Truman Middle School's state test result (38.3% proficient) is higher than 0 of the 4 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truman Middle School this school | 438 | 49.5% | 38.3% |
| Hunt Middle School Tacoma | 519 | 48.4% | 40.9% |
| Frontier Middle School Graham | 620 | 49.0% | 39.7% |
| College Place Middle School LYNNWOOD | 479 | 47.8% | 39.0% |
| Jason Lee Middle School VANCOUVER | 568 | 48.4% | N/A |
| Komachin Middle School Lacey | 640 | 48.8% | 42.2% |
Matched among Washington middle schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Truman Middle School ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In Washington | In Pierce County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 38.3% | #164 of 294 | #26 of 45 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 33.9% | #179 of 357 ▼ 1 | #23 of 45 ▲ 1 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 44.9% | #197 of 357 ▼ 1 | #26 of 45 ▲ 2 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -0.8pp | #76 of 290 | #9 of 45 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 438 | #280 of 377 | #42 of 45 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 20.8:1 | #262 of 340 | #28 of 44 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 66.0% | #115 of 340 | #30 of 44 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 49.5% | #186 of 359 | #20 of 45 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -42.7% | #4 of 192 | #1 of 23 |
Ranked against other public middle schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
438
-262 (-37%) vs 2020
-35% since 1990-91, when it was 674
Student : Teacher
20.8:1
was 18.9:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 438 | 21.1 | 20.8:1 | 50% (217) |
| 2023-24 | 417 | 20.9 | 20.0:1 | 51% (213) |
| 2022-23 | 435 | 23.6 | 18.4:1 | 46% (201) |
| 2020-21 | 700 | 37 | 18.9:1 | 54% (375) |
| 2017-18 | 764 | 38 | 20.1:1 | 54% (413) |
| 2015-16 | 800 | 39 | 20.5:1 | 58% (462) |
| 2010-11 | 748 | 40 | 18.7:1 | 51% (379) |
| 2000-01 | 765 | 40 | 19.1:1 | N/A |
| 1990-91 | 674 | 35 | 19.3:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Truman Middle School.
Since 2017-18: students down 43% (764 to 438); teachers down 45% (38 to 21.1).
About Truman Middle School
Truman Middle School is a public middle-grades school run by Tacoma School District in Tacoma, Washington. There are 438 students enrolled, covering grades 6 through 8. The school is 24% below the average for middle schools in Washington.
Truman Middle School is a school in Tacoma School District. The district has 66 schools and 28,900 students.
White students are 53% of those enrolled at Truman Middle School. Beyond that, enrollment is 18% multiracial, 14% Hispanic, 8% Black, and 5% Asian. In Pierce County overall, about 64% of residents are White. A diversity index of 66% means there is a 66% chance two randomly chosen students at Truman Middle School are from different groups.
Truman Middle School has 21.1 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of about 20.8:1. Middle schools in Washington average 18.9:1, 1.8 fewer students per teacher than here. A common income measure, free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, is 50% at Truman Middle School. The figure for public schools in Pierce County is close, at 50%.
Truman Middle School earns a C on the allk12 Grade, which blends test scores, results against poverty-based expectations, and the three-year trend. It scored higher than 32% of Washington public middle schools.
On the allk12 BeatsExpectations measure, Truman Middle School is 8.7 points below the average proficiency rate across its state test results predicted for its free or reduced-price lunch share: 38.3% actual, 47.0% predicted. That is outside both the top and bottom 10% in Washington.
American Community Survey estimates for Pierce County show that median household income comes to about $99,564, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 31% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 6%. Pierce County counts 287 public schools with about 138,462 students.
Of the public schools around it, Truman Middle School is closest to Point Defiance Elementary School, about 0.7 miles away. Inside a five-mile radius, there are at least 8 other public schools. The average proficiency across nearby scored schools is 60.1%; Truman Middle School's is 38.3%, ranking 6th of 6.
Truman Middle School has an NCES locale of City: Mid-size.
Enrollment fell 37% over 4 years, reaching 438 in 2024-25. The ratio of students to teachers went from 18.9:1 to 20.8:1 over the same years.
This community page is for conversations about fundraisers, report cards, and school supplies. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.
Pierce County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
930,319
Census ACS
Median income
$99,564
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
31%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
6%
Below federal line
Schools in county
287
138,462 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Tacoma School District
- Stadium High SchoolHigh · 1,700 students
- Lincoln High SchoolHigh · 1,556 students
- Mount Tahoma High SchoolHigh · 1,410 students
- Dr. Dolores Silas High SchoolHigh · 1,160 students
- Baker Middle SchoolMiddle · 687 students
- Tacoma School of the ArtsHigh · 658 students
Other schools in Tacoma
- Stadium High SchoolHigh · 1,700 students
- Lincoln High SchoolHigh · 1,556 students
- Mount Tahoma High SchoolHigh · 1,410 students
- Dr. Dolores Silas High SchoolHigh · 1,160 students
- Washington High SchoolHigh · 989 students
- Franklin Pierce High SchoolHigh · 977 students
Other Truman Middle schools
3 other US public schools in 3 states are named Truman Middle. Truman Middle School is the 4th largest of the 4.
- TRUMAN MIDDLE SCHOOLST. LOUIS, MO · 816 students
- TRUMAN MIDDLEALBUQUERQUE, NM · 520 students
- TRUMAN MIDDLEST JOSEPH, MO · 486 students
Nearby schools
- Point Defiance Elementary School0.7 mi · 301
- Downing Elementary School0.8 mi · 298
- Sherman Elementary School0.8 mi · 432
- Skyline Elementary School0.8 mi · 329
- Tacoma Online Middle School0.9 mi · 170
- Tacoma Online High School0.9 mi · 497
Frequently asked questions
About Truman Middle SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at Truman Middle School?
Truman Middle School enrolls approximately 438 students in grades 06-08.
What grades does Truman Middle School serve?
Truman Middle School serves grades 06-08.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Truman Middle School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Truman Middle School is approximately 20.8:1 (21 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Truman Middle School?
At Truman Middle School, the student body is approximately 53% White, 14% Hispanic, 8% Black, 5% Asian, 18% Two or more.
What district is Truman Middle School in?
Truman Middle School is part of Tacoma School District.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.