About Aspire
Welcome to Aspire Performing Arts Academy!
We are a performing arts choice school that opened in 2009. We serve students in grades 6–8 and accept applicants through a lottery system. Learn more about our application process.
Grades Served
6–8
Building
Opened in 2009.
School Data
For enrollment, demographics, student performance, and other numbers, see our Washington State Report Card.
Survey Results
Learn what our community sees as Aspire's greatest strengths and challenges as we plan for the future.
Community Partners
NTPS helps strengthen relationships with our community through partnerships with local businesses, nonprofits, and places of worship. Want to know more about partnering your organization with Aspire?
Mission & Vision
Create an educational experience where rigorous academic standards, coupled with high-quality performing arts instruction, challenge all students to reach their full potential as innovative problem-solvers, skillful artisans, and imaginative learners.
We believe that every student has the potential to achieve high levels of academic learning and performing arts achievement. Each child is unique, and recognizing this, we base our educational programs upon methods of developing and utilizing this uniqueness. Aspire is designed to foster academic excellence through our core program and promote the exploration of the performing arts in our enrichment program.
Goals & School Improvement Plan
Academic Gap Goal
- By the spring of 2026, Aspire will increase pass rates on the SBA from 54.9% to 50% or above in 6th grade, from 66.7% to 70% or above in 7th grade, and 69.4% to 75% or above in 8th grade, with a specific focus on narrowing a 20% proficiency gap between low-income and non-low-income students.
Behavioral or Social-Emotional Learning Gap Goal
- Aspire will work to reduce the existing 20% gap between regularly attending non-low-income and low-income students to 10%, increasing overall regular attendance at Aspire to 55% in the second semester of 2025-26.
School Improvement Plan
Get Involved
Aspire values the strong support of our families and community. Volunteer opportunities include mentoring, tutoring, participating in events and field trips, helping in the classroom, and more.
Building History
Aspire opened as a performing arts magnet middle school in September 2009. The building, located at 5900 54th Avenue SE in Lacey, sits in 9.8 acres, and originally housed both Horizons Intermediate school and South Sound High School.
- 2007: Roof and envelope upgrades
- 2009: Interior finishes
- 2010: Interior and major HVAC upgrades
- 2010: Energy-efficient lighting upgrade (utilizing state energy grant funds)
- 2020: Exterior paint and new secure entrance
- 2022: New modular building, replacing six portable classroom buildings to house science and math classrooms. Band, choir, and orchestra moved inside the main building.