Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High· 24 schools in district

River Ridge High School

350 River Ridge Drive SE, Lacey, WA 98513North Thurston Public Schools
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades 0912Non-Charter
1,476
Students
Total enrolled
88%
Grad Rate
Nat'l avg 87%
~avg
$19,649
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
37% vs nat'l
19.1 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
24% vs nat'l
43/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
14% vs nat'l
Large public school
Serves 1,476 students in grades 09–12 in Lacey, Washington.
37% above average funding
District spends $19,649 per pupil, 37% more than the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 43th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

River Ridge High School is a very large high in Lacey, Washington, serving grades 09–12 with 1,476 students. The district invests $19,649 per student — 37% above the national average of $14,347, with a 19.1:1 student-teacher ratio near the national norm. About 44% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body.

Student Body & Demographics at River Ridge High School

1,476
Total Students
19.1 : 1
Student:Teacher
44%
Free Lunch
77
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 Distribution768 male · 704 female
52%
48%
Male 52%Female 48%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility44%
National avg 52% · 645 students
Student Composition
9%
38%
27%
14%
Asian9%
White38%
Hispanic / Latino27%
Black6%
Multiracial14%
Native American2%
Pacific Islander3%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 530585001208

Academic Outcomes at River Ridge High School

Graduation Rate (Adjusted Cohort)
88
Near avg
National avg 87%
Graduation Rate Comparison
This school
88%
State avg
82%
National avg
87%
Neighborhood Opportunity Score
43
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 43th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 47th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 98513

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$19,649Above avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$19,649
State avg
$50,309
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$8,646
Student Support$3,733
Administration$2,358
Operations$2,947
Other$1,965
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $19,649 spent per student, an estimated $8,705 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
61%
30%
State government
61.3%
Local (property tax)
30.4%
Federal programs
8.3%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • 88% graduation rate — near the national average of 87%
  • Above-average funding — $19,649/student vs $14,347 nationally
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelHigh
Grades09 – 12
Location
CountyThurston County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
Phone: (360)412-4820
NCES ID: 530585001208
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in Lacey 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
350 River Ridge Drive SE, Lacey, WA 98513
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.