Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High· 34 schools in district

Pierce County Skills Center

16117 Canyon Rd E, Puyallup, WA 98375Bethel School District
Federal DataCareer and Technical SchoolGrades 0812Non-Charter
279
Students
Total enrolled
$18,928
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
32% vs nat'l
25.4 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
65% vs nat'l
Small public school
Serves 279 students in grades 08–12 in Puyallup, Washington.
32% above average funding
District spends $18,928 per pupil, 32% more than the national average of $14,347.
25.4 : 1 student-teacher ratio
This is above the national average — larger classes of 15.4:1.
About This School

Pierce County Skills Center is a mid-sized high in Puyallup, Washington, serving grades 08–12 with 279 students. The district invests $18,928 per student — 32% above the national average of $14,347, with a 25.4:1 student-teacher ratio that is higher than the national norm of 15.4:1. With only 24% of students on free or reduced-price lunch, the school primarily serves an economically stable community.

Student Body & Demographics at Pierce County Skills Center

279
Total Students
25.4 : 1
Student:Teacher
24%
Free Lunch
11
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (0812) are served by this school
Gender Distribution182 male · 93 female
66%
34%
Male 66%Female 34%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility24%
National avg 52% · 68 students
Student Composition
61%
23%
Asian3%
White61%
Hispanic / Latino23%
Black3%
Multiracial7%
Native American1%
Pacific Islander2%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 530048003284

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$18,928Above avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$18,928
State avg
$50,309
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$8,328
Student Support$3,596
Administration$2,271
Operations$2,839
Other$1,893
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $18,928 spent per student, an estimated $8,385 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
67%
25%
State government
66.9%
Local (property tax)
24.6%
Federal programs
8.5%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • Above-average funding — $18,928/student vs $14,347 nationally
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • 25.4:1 student-teacher ratio — larger classes than the national average of 15.4:1
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
School Profile
TypeCareer and Technical School
LevelHigh
Grades08 – 12
Location
CountyPierce County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
Phone: (253)800-5950
NCES ID: 530048003284
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in Puyallup seeking a public high school, especially those prioritizing above-average resources and classroom investment. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

Location
16117 Canyon Rd E, Puyallup, WA 98375
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

High
1
What percentage of students take AP or dual enrollment courses?
Indicates academic rigor and college prep
2
What college counseling and application support is provided?
Ratio of students per counselor matters
3
What career and vocational pathways are offered?
CTE programs, internships, industry partnerships
4
How does the school support students at risk of not graduating?
Credit recovery, attendance intervention
5
What's the school's culture around attendance and behavior?
Discipline approach, restorative practices
6
What happens after graduation — where do students go?
Ask about college, career, military outcomes
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.