Original Research by School Decision on Clover Park High School
Clover Park High School serves the western portion of Lakewood, a suburban city just south of Tacoma whose economy and character are heavily shaped by Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The school is the largest traditional high school in the Clover Park School District, one of several spread across the city’s distributed commercial and residential nodes. Lakewood lacks a traditional downtown core, but its International District along South Tacoma Way and commercial hubs like the Lakewood Towne Center provide centers of activity. The student body is predominantly composed of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a substantial share of the school’s enrollment. The school’s racial and ethnic demographics are heavily diverse, with the largest group being of Hispanic or Latino heritage, followed by notable populations of Black students, white students, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander students, and students of two or more races. Asian and American Indian or Alaska Native students make up the remaining share.
The most recent state testing results, from a single year of data, show that in English language arts, a moderate share of students met the proficiency bar. In math, the share of students demonstrating proficiency was in the lower range. On the state science assessment, the proficiency rate was similarly low. Because the data covers only one year, it is not possible to identify any trend of improvement or decline; these results capture a single point in time. A parent may want to ask the school how these scores compare to prior years and what instructional strategies are in place to address the math and science results. The data did not include a graduation rate, chronic absenteeism rate, or breakdowns by student group, so it is not possible to assess postsecondary readiness, attendance patterns, or how different populations are performing. For context on outcomes like the graduation rate, looking at the Clover Park School District’s district-level reporting or contacting the school directly would give a fuller picture.
No data was available on the specific programs offered at Clover Park High School. Schools of this size in the region typically provide some combination of Advanced Placement, Career and Technical Education, and dual-credit courses, but the absence of program-level information means a family interested in specific pathways, such as the International Baccalaureate, STEM offerings, or career-oriented programs, should confirm directly with the school what is available.
The school is located within a district for which a search for recent parent-relevant changes, such as referendums, boundary adjustments, or curriculum shifts, turned up little of lasting detail. The district is the governing authority for the school, and families should monitor its communications for upcoming decisions.
For housing context, the typical home value in the area around the school has seen a very slight decline compared to the prior year, while rents have risen. Nationally, mortgage rates were in the mid-single-digit range at the time of this profile. Home values in the area sit below the statewide benchmark for Washington. The school serves a community where the local economy is anchored by Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the region’s dominant employer, along with major healthcare, retail, and educational institutions. Lakewood itself has no development impact fees and offers other incentives aimed at attracting housing and business growth, and the city reports a retail sales base that has expanded over a recent multi-year period.
This is a school whose state testing results point to significant academic challenges in math and science particularly, and where English language arts attainment is in the middle range. The school draws from a densely diverse, economically impacted community and sits within a city that is still maturing as an incorporated municipality while leveraging its strategic position near a major military installation and the I-5 corridor. Without more data on college and career readiness programs, postsecondary enrollment, and the graduation rate, the full academic picture of Clover Park High School is incomplete.
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