Original Research by School Decision on Lincoln High School
Lincoln High School is a large, regular public high school in Tacoma, part of the Tacoma School District. It serves grades nine through twelve and enrolls a student body that is notably diverse. Hispanic students make up the largest single group, followed by Black, White, Asian, and students identifying with two or more races; a smaller share of students are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and American Indian or Alaska Native. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a community with significant economic need. Data on the share of students receiving special education services or classified as English learners was not available in the source information.
Academically, the most recent state testing results show that about two out of five students met the proficiency standard in English language arts. In science, roughly one in three students met the standard. Math proficiency was lower, with fewer than one in five students reaching the bar. These figures represent a single year of testing; no multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to determine whether performance has been improving or declining. The school’s graduation rate was also not reported in the data provided. A parent looking for a fuller academic picture would need to ask the school or district for a summary of graduation rates and any recent trend in assessment results.
The school environment figures were not reported in the available data. There was no information on discipline rates, staffing ratios, or chronic absenteeism, so the reader cannot assess those aspects from this record. Similarly, data on course access, such as the availability of Advanced Placement, dual-credit, or career and technical education pathways, was missing. For a family considering the school, these are important questions to raise directly with the school’s administration.
Tacoma itself is a mid-sized port city and the county seat of Pierce County. Its economy is anchored by healthcare and social assistance, retail, educational services, and the Port of Tacoma’s transportation and warehousing sector. The housing market shows a typical home value slightly below a recent state benchmark, and rents have been rising. The city has seen steady population growth and a notable increase in proposed housing units under its Home in Tacoma initiative. Walkability varies by neighborhood; the downtown Museum District and the Proctor and Stadium districts are more pedestrian-friendly, while much of the city remains car-dependent. Tacoma is also home to several higher education institutions, including the University of Washington Tacoma downtown and the University of Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran University on residential campuses.
The district brief searched for school closures and boundary changes but did not return any data, so that information was not available for this narrative.
In sum, Lincoln High School is a large, diverse, high-poverty high school in a growing city. The testing snapshot points to areas where the school’s academic performance is stronger and other areas where it is weaker. A parent considering Lincoln will want to follow up on the missing information about graduation outcomes, program offerings, and school climate to build a complete picture.
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