Enrollment
295
Ohio · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Sunbury, OH
Big Walnut Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Big Walnut Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 390467402640
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Big Walnut Elementary School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Ohio schools.
- #2 of 4
- elementary schools in Sunbury · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14:1
- small classes for Ohio
- 8.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Big Walnut Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 80% of Ohio schools. Computed live against every Ohio school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Big Walnut Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Sunbury, OH.
School address
District: Big Walnut Local · Ohio
NCES ID 390467402640 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 18.2:1 Ohio avg
-23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
8.3%
vs 31.6% Ohio avg
-74% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Big Walnut Elementary School compares with Ohio and U.S. medians
What stands out at Big Walnut Elementary School
Big Walnut Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Sunbury, Ohio, enrolling 295 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14:1 puts it in the smaller third of Ohio schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 8.3% free-meal eligibility runs 74% below the Ohio average.
Enrollment of 295 puts it in the smaller third of Ohio schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,574 scored Ohio schools.
Against 187 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #92.
Its student body is predominantly White (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 33/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 590 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
11.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Sunbury's elementary schools, it stands alongside Big Walnut Intermediate School (663 students): Big Walnut Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14:1 vs 22.9:1).
Big Walnut Local also operates Big Walnut High School (1,299 students) and Big Walnut Middle School (973 students) alongside Big Walnut Elementary School.
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 Big Walnut Elementary School compares
Big Walnut Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Ohio and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Ohio | Ohio avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14:1 | ▼ 23% | 18.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 8.3% | ▼ 74% | 31.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 295 | top 69% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
295
Bigger than 32% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
8.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 74% below the Ohio average of 31.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14:1
students per teacher
- 23% below state mean
Top 20% in Ohio - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
11.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$11,810
per pupil, district-wide
- below Ohio avg of $14,655
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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.
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 81.0%
Two or More 6.8%
African American 4.4%
Asian 4.1%
Hispanic or Latino 3.7%
Largest group: White at 81.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.4, Big Walnut Elementary School is about as mixed as the Ohio school average of 35.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Big Walnut Local, which includes Big Walnut Elementary School.
$11,810
Per student
-19%
vs Ohio
Avg $14,655
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 76.4%
State 16.9%
Federal 6.7%
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 Big Walnut Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Walnut High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Big Walnut Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Big Walnut Intermediate School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Prairie Run Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| General Rosecrans Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Big Walnut Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,299
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 973
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 663
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 352
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 296
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar elementary schools in Sunbury
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Ohio, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~295 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Big Walnut Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Big Walnut Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Big Walnut Local'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 Big Walnut Elementary School
How many students attend Big Walnut Elementary School?
Big Walnut Elementary School has 295 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Sunbury, OH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Big Walnut Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Big Walnut Elementary School is 14:1, which is 23% lower than the Ohio average of 18.2:1 and 11% 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 Big Walnut Elementary School?
8.3% of students at Big Walnut Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Ohio average of 31.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Big Walnut Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Big Walnut Elementary School is White at 81.0% of enrollment, in Sunbury, OH.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Big Walnut Elementary School?
Big Walnut Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Big Walnut Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Sunbury?
By Resource Investment Index, Big Walnut Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Sunbury, OH. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Sunbury on the city page.
Is Big Walnut Elementary School a good school?
Big Walnut Elementary School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Ohio schools. 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 Big Walnut Local?
Besides Big Walnut Elementary School, Big Walnut Local also operates Big Walnut High School (1,299 students), Big Walnut Middle School (973 students), and Big Walnut Intermediate School (663 students). See the Big Walnut Local 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.