- Enrollment
- 966
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Norwood, MA
Balch
Federal NCES profile for Balch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 250906001460
👥 S:T ratio 61
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 20
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Balch earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Massachusetts schools.
- #4 of 5
- elementary schools in Norwood · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 9.8:1
- small classes for Massachusetts
- 303
- students enrolled
Balch has class sizes smaller than 82% of Massachusetts schools. Computed live against every Massachusetts school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Balch ranks #4 of 5 elementary schools in Norwood, MA.
School address
District: Norwood · Massachusetts
NCES ID 250906001460 Verify on NCES CCD record →
CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24
-6 students YoY
Balch held near 306 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-6 headcount).
Teacher FTE added 31.7 → 32.4 across the same CCD years.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).
Steady CCD campus
-6 students YoY 250906001460 · Norwood, MA Elementary · SMALL · TRAD
303 enr · 9.8:1 · RII 38
Nearest enrollment peer: Norwood High (966 students)
Balch held near 306 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-6 headcount). Teacher FTE added 31.7 → 32.4 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Massachusetts schools → · Find another →
Balch in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- Norwood High
Norwood High
966 students
- Dr. Philip O.
Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School
807 students
- F a Cleveland 339
F a Cleveland
339 students
- This school 303
Balch
303 students
- Charles J Pres 267
Charles J Prescott
267 students
- John P Oldham 261
John P Oldham
261 students
What this shows Balch reports 303 students on the CCD universe file.
How Balch compares
Balch held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs Massachusetts and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Massachusetts | Massachusetts avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9.8:1 | ▼ 20% | 12.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 303 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.8:1
Leaner classes than 90% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
303
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators methodology
Staffing depth
9.8:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 18% in Massachusetts - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
32.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$22,395
per pupil, district-wide
- below Massachusetts avg of $23,695
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 303 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 41.6%
White 37.6%
African American 10.6%
Asian 6.6%
Two or More 1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 41.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.9, Balch is more mixed than the Massachusetts school average of 47.3.
Programs
District finance for Norwood reports $22,395 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.
How Balch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norwood High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| F a Cleveland | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Charles J Prescott | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| John P Oldham | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Balch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 807
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 339
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 267
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 261
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar elementary schools in Norwood
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
F a Cleveland
Standard public school
339 students 11.3:1 students per teacher
Charles J Prescott
Standard public school
267 students 11.6:1 students per teacher
John P Oldham
Standard public school
261 students 10.9:1 students per teacher
Cornelius M Callahan
Standard public school
247 students 11.2:1 students per teacher
Nationwide elementary 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.
Similar enrollment (~303 students)
Frequently asked questions about Balch
How many students attend Balch?
Balch has 303 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Norwood, MA. CCD year-over-year: 312 (2022-23) → 306 (2023-24), nearly flat (-6).
What is the student-teacher ratio at Balch?
The student-teacher ratio at Balch is 9.8:1, which is 20% lower than the Massachusetts average of 12.3:1 and 38% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Balch?
The largest demographic group at Balch is Hispanic or Latino at 41.6% of enrollment, in Norwood, MA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Balch?
Balch has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical 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 Balch rank among elementary schools in Norwood?
By Resource Investment Index, Balch ranks #4 of 5 elementary schools in Norwood, MA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Norwood on the city page.
What other schools are in Norwood?
Besides Balch, Norwood also operates Norwood High (966 students), Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School (807 students), and F a Cleveland (339 students). See the Norwood district page for the complete list.