WashingtonSchoolsFoss High School

Foss High School

PublicRegular
Tacoma, Washington · Tacoma School District
Teachers37.0FTE
Ratio15.7:1students per teacher
Students580enrolled
SCHOOL SNAPSHOT
Students580
Grade Span9–12
Student:Teacher15.7:1
Free/Reduced Lunch78%
Title INo
SectorPublic
Student : Teacher
19.3:1
23%vs prior yrUS avg 15.4:1
Teacher FTE
31
16.2%vs prior yr
Enrollment
599
3.3%vs prior yr
Avg Experience
11
years
Counselors
1:303
3.5%vs prior yrASCA max 1:250
Nurses
NASN max 1:750
Psychologists
1:605
3.5%vs prior yrNASP max 1:500
Social Workers
SSWAA max 1:250
Trends & 5-year history below

Pupil : Teacher Ratio — 5-Year Trend

15.1:116.0:116.9:117.8:118.7:119.6:12020202120222023202415.9:116.7:116.3:115.7:119.3:1Foss High SchoolUS public-school avg

Enrollment & Teacher FTE

577586595603612621303234353739202020212022202320246056185875805993837363731EnrollmentTeacher FTE

Year-by-year workforce

Metric20202021202220232024Nat Avg
Enrollment605618587580599
Teacher FTE3837363731
Pupil : Teacher ratio15.9:116.7:116.3:115.7:119.3:115.4:1

Teacher Experience & Qualifications (2024)

Average years of experience10.5 yrs
Novice teachers (< 3 yrs)0%
Hold advanced degree73%
Source: State Department of Education teacher workforce reports.

What These Numbers Mean

Teacher FTE

Full-Time Equivalent counts part-time teachers proportionally. One full-time teacher = 1.0 FTE; two half-time teachers also = 1.0 FTE. This is the standard federal reporting unit.

Pupil : Teacher ratio

NCES-reported ratio divides total enrollment by teacher FTE. It is NOT the same as average class size — schools with specialists, coaches, and resource teachers will show lower ratios than typical class sizes.

How to read the trend

A falling pupil:teacher ratio (line going down) means more staffing per student — generally a positive signal. A rising line can indicate budget pressure or fast enrollment growth outpacing hiring. Always compare to the US average (dashed grey).

Historical data spans 20202024 from NCES CCD.

Student Support & Wellbeing

Non-teaching staff who support student mental health, physical health, and behavioural needs. Lower pupil-to-staff ratios mean more one-on-one access.

Counselors & Social Workers — staff to pupils (recommended 1:250)

1:01:681:1351:2031:2711:339201720201:3141:303Counselor : PupilsSocial Worker : PupilsRecommended 1:250

Nurses & Psychologists — staff to pupils

1:01:1621:3241:4861:6481:810201720201:6271:6271:605Nurse : PupilsNASN 1:750Psychologist : PupilsNASP 1:500

Support staffing & ratios — year by year

Metric20172020Nat Avg
Counselors (FTE)22
Nurses (FTE)1
Psychologists (FTE)11
Social Workers (FTE)
Counselor : Pupils1:3141:3031:250
Nurse : Pupils1:6271:750
Psychologist : Pupils1:6271:6051:500
Social Worker : Pupils1:250

Why these ratios matter

Counselors (ASCA 250:1)

School counselors support academic planning, college & career readiness, and social-emotional wellbeing. The American School Counselor Association recommends no more than 250 students per counselor.

Nurses (NASN 750:1)

School nurses manage chronic conditions, medications, immunisations, and emergencies. The National Association of School Nurses recommends at least 1 full-time nurse per 750 students (more for high-need populations).

Psychologists (NASP 500:1)

School psychologists assess learning & behavioural needs, run mental-health interventions, and coordinate special-education services. NASP recommends 500:1 or lower.

Social workers (SSWAA 250:1)

School social workers bridge home-school relationships, address attendance & trauma, and connect families to community resources. SSWAA recommends 250:1.

Source: US Dept of Education CRDC (20172020) — Civil Rights Data Collection.