Tumwater School District, WA

Original Research by School Decision on Tumwater School District

The Tumwater School District serves a wide swath of Thurston County, covering the city of Tumwater and extending into surrounding communities including parts of Olympia, Lacey, Rainier, and Rochester. It is a mid-sized district for the county, enrolling students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade across a range of elementary, middle, and high schools. The district also operates a skills center and an alternative high school, providing different pathways for students.

The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic population and smaller shares of students who identify as two or more races, Asian, Black, Native American, or Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals, as well as counts of students with disabilities and English learners, was not available. This gap limits a full picture of the district's student support needs, and a family may want to ask the district directly about these figures.

On state assessments, the district's results show a mixed picture. In English language arts, proficiency rates across grades three through eight cluster around the midpoint of the state range, with sixth grade standing out with a noticeably higher proficiency rate. In math, the pattern is more uneven. Third grade shows a relatively strong proficiency rate, but the rates drop in the upper elementary grades and remain lower through middle school, with fifth and eighth grades showing the softest results. Science results, tested in fifth and eighth grades, fall near the middle, with fifth grade a bit stronger than eighth.

When placed among Thurston County's districts, the district's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits above the midpoint of the county. That is a meaningful strength. However, its chronic absenteeism rate falls below the midpoint of the county, meaning a higher share of students are missing school frequently. This is a point a parent may want to look into further with the school, as it can affect academic momentum.

The district's housing market reflects its location in the greater Olympia area. Home values and rents are moderate for the region, and the market overall has seen modest recent appreciation. The district's per-pupil spending is in the lower range among county districts, which is worth noting but does not by itself indicate a shortfall in resources.

Publicly reported events include the passage of two replacement levies in early 2022. Voters approved a four-year Educational Programs and Operations Levy and a separate four-year Capital Projects and Technology Levy, both running through 2026. The operations levy supports staff, programs, and services beyond what state funding covers, and the capital levy funds technology, safety, and facility improvements. These levies represent a sustained local investment in the district's operations and infrastructure.

The district provides a comprehensive set of school options. There are several elementary schools spread across the area, two middle schools, and two comprehensive high schools, along with an alternative high school and a skills center. A virtual academy is listed as inactive. For a family, this means multiple attendance-area schools to consider within the district, with a range of program types at the high school level, including career and technical education through the skills center.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

6,282

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 16%

Black 2%

White 66%

Asian 3%

Two+ 11%

Am. Indian / AK Native 1%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 1%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

42%

69%

Gr 4

44%

65%

Gr 5

38%

64%

Gr 6

55%

70%

Gr 7

45%

69%

Gr 8

49%

65%

Math

Gr 3

51%

74%

Gr 4

37%

62%

Gr 5

24%

48%

Gr 6

42%

59%

Gr 7

32%

54%

Gr 8

32%

45%

Science

Gr 5

44%

65%

Gr 8

39%

57%

Schools in this District

15 schools are officially reported under this district.

Littlerock Elementary School

Michael T Simmons Elementary

Peter G Schmidt Elementary

Tumwater High School

Tumwater Middle School

George Bush Middle School

Black Lake Elementary

New Market Skills Center

East Olympia Elementary

Thurs Co Juv Det/Tumwater West E

Tumwater Hill Elementary

A G West Black Hills High School

Cascadia High School

New Market High School

Tumwater Virtual Academy

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

66%

Grade 3

52%

Grade 4

39%

Grade 5

52%

Grade 6

45%

Grade 7

41%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

59%

Grade 3

56%

Grade 4

54%

Grade 5

64%

Grade 6

60%

Grade 7

59%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

57%

Grade 5

50%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$553,513

Year-over-year change+0.8%

Range across 6 ZIP codes$511K to $579K

vs. state typical0.92x

vs. national typical1.50x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (6 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
98512	Olympia	$559K	+0.8%	72.0%
98501	Olympia	$553K	+0.5%	15.9%
98576	Rainier	$522K	+1.7%	4.6%
98579	Rochester	$522K	+1.7%	4.3%
98513	Lacey	$511K	+0.4%	3.1%
98502		$579K	+0.1%	0.0%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,915/mo

Year-over-year change+1.1%

Range across 4 ZIP codes$1,839 to $2,359/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (4 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
98512	Olympia	$1,912	+0.5%	72.0%
98501	Olympia	$1,839	+2.9%	15.9%
98513	Lacey	$2,359	+4.3%	3.1%
98502		$2,001	+3.9%	0.0%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$2,793/mo

Home price / national median income6.6x

Annual rent / national median income27.4%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$878/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$604,087 (-0.6% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.