North Thurston Public Schools

Address

305 College Street

Lacey

, Thurston County, Washington, 98516-5390
United States
District information
Motto| “Committed to Excellence: Preparing all students for rewarding careers, fulfilling lives, and compassionate global citizenship."
Grades| PK \- 12
Established| 1953; 71 years ago (1953)
Superintendent| Dr. Deb Clemens
Budget| $263,000,000
NCES District ID| 5305850[1]
Students and staff
Students| 15,250 (2023-24)[2]
Teachers| 910
Student–teacher ratio| 16.5:1
Athletic conference| 3A
Other information
Website| www.nthurston.k12.wa.us

North Thurston Public Schools, District No. 3 (NTPS) provides educational services for Lacey and parts of unincorporated Thurston County, Washington, including the Nisqually Tribe Reservation.

It is the most diverse and largest school district in the county with award-winning arts, academics, athletics, and career and technical education (CTE) programs. They have 24 schools, including four choice schools. They have more than 15,000 students and 2,000 employees. It is the 23rd largest school district in the state of Washington. Their multi-language learners program serves more than 975 students with speakers of 52 languages.

NTPS's on-time graduation rates are higher than the state average, and they have maintained that average for more than five years.

The district chose "Culture of Kindness" as their 2023-24 annual theme to communicate its commitment to building a culture of kindness that spreads throughout our community.

NTPS believes strongly in community partnerships and providing support for students in need. The Family & Youth Resource Center provides a one-stop destination for services and supplies, including food, school supplies and clothing, hygiene and laundry supplies. They also support intakes for McKinney-Vento (homeless youth) and a space to meet with community partners.

NTPS is a Compassionate Learning Community and each year adopts a new project to support, ranging from the local food bank to community service.

Points of Pride: NTPS School Board named WSDDA School Board of the Year in 2023 and Board of Distinction in 2024; 130+ National Board-Certified Teachers; More than 100 dual high school/college credit options; More than 6,000 parent and community volunteers; Elementary Dual Language Program (Spanish/English) at two schools; Mentor Program; Military Support Program; Partners in Education (PIE) Program; Helping Hands Program

## Location[edit]

NTPS covers 74 square miles (191.7 km2) of land in northeastern Thurston county.

## Schools[edit]

High Schools (Grades 9-12)  High School | Type | Established | Enrollment[2] | Mascot | WIAA Classification

|
|
|
|
|

| North Thurston[3] | comprehensive | 1955 | 1,419 | Rams | 3A
| River Ridge[4] | comprehensive | 1993 | 1,533 | Hawks | 3A
| Timberline High School[5] | comprehensive | 1970 | 1,433 | Blazers | 3A
Middle Schools  Name | Type | Established | Enrollment[2] | Mascot

|
|
|
|

| Chinook | 6-8 | 1961 | 710 | Orcas
| Komachin | 6-8 | 1992 | 643 | Wolves
| Nisqually | 6-8 | 1967 | 817 | Totems
| Salish | 6-8 | 2016 | 790 | Ravens
Elementary Schools  Name | Grade Levels | Established | Enrollment[2] | Mascot | Remarks

|
|
|
|
|

| Chambers Prairie | K-5 | 2009 | 494 | Wolf | Elementary 13 named after historical settlers in the area
| Evergreen Forest | K-5 | 1978 | 479 | Bobcats | Serves students living within the Nisqually reservation
| Horizons | K-5 | 1992 | 561 | Eagles |
| Lacey | K-5 | 1968 | 373 | Husky pups | "The Round School"
| Lakes | K-5 | 1964 | 501 | Leopards |
| Lydia Hawk | K-5 | 1959 | 500 | Hawks | Located in Tanglewilde
| Meadows | P,K-5 | 1986 | 739 | Mustangs |
| Mountain View | P,K-5 | 1957 | 731 | Bobcats |
| Olympic View | K-5 | 1970 | 611 | Eagles | Located in Thompson Place
| Pleasant Glade | P,K-5 | 1987 | 509 | Panthers |
| Seven Oaks | P,K-5 | 1990 | 431 | Bulldogs | Serves students living in Mushroom Corner
| South Bay | K-5 | 1953 | 588 | Bruins |
| Woodland | K-5 | 1981 | 461 | Wildcats |
Choice Schools  Name | Type | Established | Enrollment[2] | Mascot

|
|
|
|

| Aspire Performing Arts Academy | 6-8 arts | 2009 | 306 | Firebirds
| Envision Career Academy | 9-12 cte | 2020 | 158 | Fyre Gryphons
| Ignite Family Academy | K-8 homeschool | 2021 | 97 | N/A
| Summit Virtual Academy | K-12 virtual | 2021 | 366 | Mountaineers

## Closed Schools[edit]

* South Sound High School - An alternative school of choice
* New Century High School - An experimental school that ran on an evening/nighttime schedule.
* Puget Sound High School - An alternative school that combined with New Century to form South Sound High School.

## Student Demographics[edit]

2023-24 Student Diversity[2] Ethnicity  | Percent

|

Hispanic / Latino of any race(s)  | 24.0%
American Indian / Alaskan Native  | 1.2%
Asian  | 7.3%
Black / African American  | 5.1%
Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander  | 3.2%
White  | 43.1%
Two or More Races  | 16.1%

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for North Thurston Public Schools". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences.
2. ^ a b c d e f "North Thurston Public Schools". Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
3. ^ "North Thurston High School / NTHS Overview". Nthurston.k12.wa.us. December 9, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
4. ^ "River Ridge High School / RRHS Overview". Nthurston.k12.wa.us. December 9, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
5. ^ "Timberline High School / THS Overview". Nthurston.k12.wa.us. December 9, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2016.

## External links[edit]

* Official website
* North Thurston Education Foundation, local non-profit foundation