Enrollment
343
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Kelso, WA
Barnes Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Barnes Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 530000300587
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Barnes Elementary earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #4 of 6
- elementary schools in Kelso · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.6:1
- students per teacher
- 77.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Barnes Elementary has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Barnes Elementary ranks #4 of 6 elementary schools in Kelso, WA.
School address
District: Kelso School District · Washington
NCES ID 530000300587 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.3%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Barnes Elementary compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Barnes Elementary
Barnes Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Kelso, Washington, enrolling 343 students.
At 15.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Washington median, within a few percentage points of the 17.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 77.3% of students qualify for free meals, 72% above the Washington average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 343 students, its enrollment sits close to the Washington median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 242 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #111.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (26%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 343 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Kelso's elementary schools, it stands alongside Lexington Elementary (854 students): Barnes Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.6:1 vs 17.1:1).
Kelso School District also operates Kelso High School (1,390 students) and Lexington Elementary (854 students) alongside Barnes Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Barnes Elementary compares
Barnes Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.6:1 | ▼ 11% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.3% | ▲ 72% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 343 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
343
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 72% above the Washington average of 45.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 41% in Washington - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
19.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$15,945
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 343 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 27 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 60.6%
Hispanic or Latino 25.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 7.0%
Two or More 5.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
African American 0.3%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: White at 60.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.8, Barnes Elementary is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kelso School District, which includes Barnes Elementary.
$15,945
Per student
-18%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.1%
State 73.0%
Federal 12.9%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Barnes Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kelso High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lexington Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Huntington Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Coweeman Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Butler Acres Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Barnes Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,390
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 854
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 559
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 501
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 426
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar elementary schools in Kelso
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Lexington Elementary
Standard public school
854 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Butler Acres Elementary
Standard public school
426 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Wallace Elementary
Standard public school
333 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Rose Valley Elementary
Standard public school
186 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Carrolls Elementary
Standard public school
107 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Washington, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~343 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Barnes Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Barnes Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Kelso School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Barnes Elementary
How many students attend Barnes Elementary?
Barnes Elementary has 343 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Kelso, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Barnes Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Barnes Elementary is 15.6:1, which is 11% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 1% 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 Barnes Elementary?
77.3% of students at Barnes Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Barnes Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Barnes Elementary is White at 60.6% of enrollment, in Kelso, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Barnes Elementary?
Barnes Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Barnes Elementary rank among elementary schools in Kelso?
By Resource Investment Index, Barnes Elementary ranks #4 of 6 elementary schools in Kelso, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Kelso on the city page.
Is Barnes Elementary a good school?
Barnes Elementary earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Kelso School District?
Besides Barnes Elementary, Kelso School District also operates Kelso High School (1,390 students), Lexington Elementary (854 students), and Huntington Middle School (559 students). See the Kelso School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.