Enrollment
535
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cheney, WA
Betz Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Betz Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 530123000221
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Betz Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Cheney · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.3:1
- students per teacher
- 58.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Betz Elementary has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Betz Elementary ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Cheney, WA.
School address
District: Cheney School District · Washington
NCES ID 530123000221 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.3:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.2%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Betz Elementary compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Betz Elementary
Betz Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Cheney, Washington, enrolling 535 students.
At 17.3:1, 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 runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 58.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 535 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 432 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #73.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 268 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
15.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Cheney School District spends $14,274 per pupil, 27% below the Washington average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Cheney's public schools, it stands alongside Phil Snowdon Elementary (525 students): Betz Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.3:1 vs 16.4:1).
Cheney School District also operates Cheney High School (1,491 students) and Cheney Middle School (637 students) alongside Betz 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 Betz Elementary compares
Betz 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 | 17.3:1 | ▼ 2% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.2% | ▲ 29% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 535 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.3:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
535
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% 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
17.3:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 59% in Washington - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,274
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 268 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 67.5%
Hispanic or Latino 13.6%
Two or More 11.8%
African American 2.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.9%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.3%
Largest group: White at 67.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.1, Betz Elementary is less mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cheney School District, which includes Betz Elementary.
$14,274
Per student
-27%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.2%
State 65.4%
Federal 11.4%
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 Betz Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheney High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cheney Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sunset Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Westwood Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Windsor Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Betz Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,491
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 637
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 634
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 624
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 549
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar other schools in Cheney
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~535 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Betz Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Betz Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Cheney 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 Betz Elementary
How many students attend Betz Elementary?
Betz Elementary has 535 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cheney, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Betz Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Betz Elementary is 17.3:1, which is 2% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 10% higher 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 Betz Elementary?
58.2% of students at Betz Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Betz Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Betz Elementary is White at 67.5% of enrollment, in Cheney, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Betz Elementary?
Betz Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher 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 Betz Elementary rank among public schools in Cheney?
By Resource Investment Index, Betz Elementary ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Cheney, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Cheney on the city page.
Is Betz Elementary a good school?
Betz Elementary earns 52/100 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 Cheney School District?
Besides Betz Elementary, Cheney School District also operates Cheney High School (1,491 students), Cheney Middle School (637 students), and Sunset Elementary (634 students). See the Cheney 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.