Enrollment
233
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 530354002976
Big Picture School — Burien, WA
Federal NCES profile for Big Picture School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 65/100.
👥 Class size 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 75
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Highline School District · Washington
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Washington avg
-30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.6%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Big Picture School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Big Picture School reports 233 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 19.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 30% below the Washington state mean of 17.8:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 22% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 43.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 3% below the Washington average and 16% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 9.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Highline School District spends $22,200 per pupil district-wide, below the Washington average of $23,175 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 29.7% from local sources (property taxes), 55.7% from the state, and 14.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 65/100 (B-), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Big Picture School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Washington state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.4:1 | ▼ 30% | 17.8:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.6% | ▼ 3% | 45.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 233 | top 29% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
43.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 3% below the Washington average of 45.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.4:1
students per teacher
— 30% below state mean
Top 11% in Washington — lower ratio than 89% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
9.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$22,200
per pupil, district-wide
— below Washington avg of $23,175
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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: 1.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 233 Top 29% in Washington — larger than 71% of 2,465 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 19.0
Students per teacher 12.4:1 -30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 43.6% -3% vs state
NCES ID 530354002976
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 37.0%
White 29.5%
Two or More 16.3%
Asian 8.8%
African American 7.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 37.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 9.9%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 4
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Highline School District, which includes Big Picture School.
$22,200
Per student
-4%
vs Washington
Avg $23,175
+14%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 29.7%
State 55.7%
Federal 14.6%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,846
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Enrollment
- 1,423
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,080
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Enrollment
- 803
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Enrollment
- 671
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
Similar other schools in Burien
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Gregory Heights Elementary
Standard public school
488 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Hazel Valley Elementary
Standard public school
469 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Seahurst Elementary School
Standard public school
405 students 19.4:1 students per teacher
Shorewood Elementary
Standard public school
400 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Cedarhurst Elementary
Standard public school
399 students 21:1 students per teacher
Highline Home School Center
Alternative education program
10 students
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Big Picture School
How many students attend Big Picture School?
Big Picture School has 233 students enrolled. It is a other school in Burien, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Big Picture School?
The student-teacher ratio at Big Picture School is 12.4:1, which is 30% lower than the Washington average of 17.8:1 and 22% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Big Picture School?
43.6% of students at Big Picture School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Big Picture School?
The largest demographic group at Big Picture School is Hispanic or Latino at 37.0%. The school serves a diverse student body in Burien, WA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Big Picture School?
Big Picture School has a Resource Investment Index of 65/100 (B-) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.