Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High· 25 schools in district

Options High School

2015 Franklin St, Bellingham, WA 98225Bellingham School District
Federal DataAlternative Education SchoolGrades 0912Non-Charter
188
Students
Total enrolled
75%
Grad Rate
Nat'l avg 87%
14% vs nat'l
$23,302
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
62% vs nat'l
9.2 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
40% vs nat'l
Small public school
Serves 188 students in grades 09–12 in Bellingham, Washington.
62% above average funding
District spends $23,302 per pupil, 62% more than the national average of $14,347.
9.2 : 1 student-teacher ratio
This is well below the national average — smaller classes of 15.4:1.
About This School

Options High School is a small high in Bellingham, Washington, serving grades 09–12 with 188 students. The district invests $23,302 per student — 62% above the national average of $14,347, and maintains a 9.2:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller than the national norm of 15.4:1. About 56% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body. The 75% graduation rate is below the national average of 87%, a data point worth exploring further during a school visit.

Student Body & Demographics at Options High School

188
Total Students
9.2 : 1
Student:Teacher
56%
Free Lunch
21
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (0912) are served by this school
Gender Distribution87 male · 89 female
49%
51%
Male 49%Female 51%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility56%
National avg 52% · 105 students
Student Composition
68%
14%
White68%
Hispanic / Latino14%
Black2%
Multiracial6%
Native American3%
Pacific Islander1%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 530042001738

Academic Outcomes at Options High School

Graduation Rate (Adjusted Cohort)
70-79
Below avg
National avg 87%
Graduation Rate Comparison
This school
75%
State avg
82%
National avg
87%

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$23,302Above avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$23,302
State avg
$50,309
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$10,253
Student Support$4,427
Administration$2,796
Operations$3,495
Other$2,330
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $23,302 spent per student, an estimated $10,323 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
59%
31%
State government
59.5%
Local (property tax)
30.6%
Federal programs
9.9%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • Above-average funding — $23,302/student vs $14,347 nationally
  • 9.2:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller classes than the national norm of 15.4:1
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • 75% graduation rate — below the national average of 87%
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
School Profile
TypeAlternative Education School
LevelHigh
Grades09 – 12
Location
CountyWhatcom County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
Phone: (360)647-6871
NCES ID: 530042001738
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in Bellingham seeking a public high school, especially those prioritizing above-average resources and classroom investment. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

Location
2015 Franklin St, Bellingham, WA 98225
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

High
1
What percentage of students take AP or dual enrollment courses?
Indicates academic rigor and college prep
2
What college counseling and application support is provided?
Ratio of students per counselor matters
3
What career and vocational pathways are offered?
CTE programs, internships, industry partnerships
4
How does the school support students at risk of not graduating?
Credit recovery, attendance intervention
5
What's the school's culture around attendance and behavior?
Discipline approach, restorative practices
6
What happens after graduation — where do students go?
Ask about college, career, military outcomes
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.