Other / mixed grade configuration · Bellingham, WA

Alderwood Elementary School

Federal NCES profile for Alderwood Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.

2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 530042000098
0/100100/10053/100
👥 S:T ratio
47
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
39
📋 Attendance
55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Alderwood Elementary School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of Washington schools.

#7 of 17
schools in Bellingham · Resource Index
53
Resource Index · Higher
13.3:1
small classes for Washington
65.3%
free-lunch eligible

Alderwood Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 83% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Alderwood Elementary School ranks #7 of 17 schools in Bellingham, WA.

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-9 students YoY

Alderwood Elementary School held near 282 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-9 headcount).

Teacher FTE added 23.7 → 24.5 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

-9 students YoY 530042000098 · Bellingham, WA Other · SMALL · TRAD

305 enr · 13.3:1 · 65.3% lunch · RII 53

Nearest enrollment peer: Squalicum High School (1,273 students)

Alderwood Elementary School held near 282 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-9 headcount). Teacher FTE added 23.7 → 24.5 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Washington schools → · Find another →

Alderwood Elementary School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Alderwood Elementary School reports 305 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Alderwood Elementary School compares

Alderwood Elementary School held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs Washington and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Washington Washington avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 13.3:1 ▼ 24% 17.6:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 65.3% ▲ 45% 45.0% 51.7%
Enrollment 305 top 63% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
305
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
65.3%
free-lunch eligible - 45% above the Washington average of 45.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.3:1
students per teacher - 24% below state mean
Top 17% in Washington - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
18.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$17,886
per pupil, district-wide - below Washington avg of $20,912
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 305 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

White 49.0%
Hispanic or Latino 37.2%
Two or More 9.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.6%
African American 1.3%
Asian 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%

Largest group: White at 49.0% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 61.2/100

Simpson diversity index - at 61.2, Alderwood Elementary School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

District finance for Bellingham School District reports $17,886 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Alderwood Elementary School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Squalicum High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Bellingham High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Sehome High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Whatcom Middle School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Shuksan Middle School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Alderwood Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Bellingham School District · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar other schools in Bellingham

6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.

Nationwide other schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Frequently asked questions about Alderwood Elementary School

How many students attend Alderwood Elementary School?

Alderwood Elementary School has 305 students enrolled. It is a public school in Bellingham, WA. CCD year-over-year: 291 (2022-23) → 282 (2023-24), nearly flat (-9).

What is the student-teacher ratio at Alderwood Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Alderwood Elementary School is 13.3:1, which is 24% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 15% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Alderwood Elementary School?

65.3% of students at Alderwood Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Alderwood Elementary School?

The largest demographic group at Alderwood Elementary School is White at 49.0% of enrollment, in Bellingham, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.2/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Alderwood Elementary School?

Alderwood Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Alderwood Elementary School rank among schools in Bellingham?

By Resource Investment Index, Alderwood Elementary School ranks #7 of 17 schools in Bellingham, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Bellingham on the city page.

What other schools are in Bellingham School District?

Besides Alderwood Elementary School, Bellingham School District also operates Squalicum High School (1,273 students), Bellingham High School (1,165 students), and Sehome High School (1,116 students). See the Bellingham School District district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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