Sumner Middle School, Sumner WA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Sumner Middle School

Sumner Middle School, a regular public school serving grades six through eight, sits within the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District in the city of Sumner, Washington. The school is a middle-sized institution for its grade band, drawing its student body from a city that blends a historic downtown core with a growing residential base and a light-industrial presence anchored by employers like REI and Dillanos Coffee Roasters. Sumner itself is a small city in northern Pierce County that retains a distinct small-town identity, marked by annual events like the Rhubarb Days festival and the Daffodil Parade, and its downtown connects to Seattle and Tacoma via a Sounder commuter rail station.

Academically, the school’s state assessment results offer a mixed picture that positions it well relative to many of its peers. On the Smarter Balanced assessments for English language arts, student proficiency is solid, with a combined rate across grades six through eight that places the school above the midpoint among districts in Pierce County. This is a clear strength, particularly for a middle school, and it signals that the school’s literacy instruction is working for a substantial share of its students. Math proficiency is lower than ELA but still sits above the midpoint relative to the county, with results that are close to the top end of the range across area districts. In science, the proficiency rate is more moderate. A parent looking at these numbers will see a school that performs well in reading and writing, holds its own in math, and has room for improvement in science. Since only one year of assessment data was available, there is no trend to report; the school’s trajectory cannot be assessed from this single point.

The student body is predominantly white, with a notable Hispanic enrollment and a smaller share of students who identify as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a community with a range of economic circumstances. Data on special education and English learner populations was not available, which is a gap a parent may want to explore directly with the school to understand the supports in place.

The school environment and access data, including discipline, staffing, and attendance, were also missing. Similarly, information on program offerings, such as course access or extracurriculars, was not provided. This absence means a parent considering Sumner Middle School should seek further details on these areas to get a complete picture.

The surrounding housing market reflects a tight supply with an owner-occupied rate that suggests a majority of households own their homes. Home values and rents are above the national but below the state, and the area has seen modest growth in recent years. The city’s population has grown steadily, and the Sumner-Bonney Lake district has made notable investments. Publicly reported, the district achieved a 1:1 device program for all students, and Sumner High School underwent a major expansion in 2023, a lasting facilities improvement that affects capacity in the feeder pattern this middle school feeds into.

For a family, Sumner Middle School offers a solid academic foundation, especially in English language arts, within a district that is performing well relative to its Pierce County neighbors. The school’s size is typical for a middle school serving three grades, and its student body reflects the surrounding community’s demographics. Gaps in the available data on discipline, attendance, special populations, and program access mean that a parent’s decision will benefit from a direct visit and conversation with the school to fill in what the records do not supply. The overall context is one of a middle school in a stable, growing suburban city with a functioning downtown and good transit connections to the larger Seattle-Tacoma metro area, making it a practical option for families who value that mix of small-town feel and regional access.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 658%

School 58% · District 53% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 761%

School 61% · District 56% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 859%

School 59% · District 54% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 662%

School 62% · District 65% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 774%

School 74% · District 75% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 871%

School 71% · District 72%

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Science

Grade 854%

School 54% · District 57% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

This schoolSumner-Bonney Lake School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 5Lower-income53%Higher-income60%7 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income47%Higher-income76%29 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income61%Higher-income84%23 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income59%Higher-income82%23 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income15%Higher-income39%25 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income42%Higher-income72%30 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income42%Higher-income74%32 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income40%Higher-income75%35 pp gap