Enrollment
391
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kirkland, WA
Carl Sandburg Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Carl Sandburg Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 530423000660
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 84
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carl Sandburg Elementary earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #3 of 6
- schools in Kirkland · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.6:1
- students per teacher
- 7.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Carl Sandburg Elementary has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carl Sandburg Elementary ranks #3 of 6 schools in Kirkland, WA.
School address
District: Lake Washington School District · Washington
NCES ID 530423000660 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
7.5%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-83% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carl Sandburg Elementary compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carl Sandburg Elementary
Carl Sandburg Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Kirkland, Washington, enrolling 391 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 7.5% free-meal eligibility runs 83% below the Washington average.
With 391 students, its enrollment sits close to the Washington median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 210 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #61.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and Asian (16%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 391 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Kirkland's public schools, it stands alongside Alexander Graham Bell Elementary (503 students): Carl Sandburg Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.6:1 vs 16.2:1).
Lake Washington School District also operates Eastlake High School (2,481 students) and Redmond High School (2,304 students) alongside Carl Sandburg 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 Carl Sandburg Elementary compares
Carl Sandburg 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 | 7.5% | ▼ 83% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 391 | top 49% | - | - |
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.
391
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
7.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 83% below the Washington average of 45.0%
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
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
6.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$16,269
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 391 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.
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 56.5%
Asian 16.0%
Two or More 14.4%
Hispanic or Latino 10.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.3%
African American 1.0%
Largest group: White at 56.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.3, Carl Sandburg Elementary is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lake Washington School District, which includes Carl Sandburg Elementary.
$16,269
Per student
-17%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.5%
State 58.6%
Federal 5.9%
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 Carl Sandburg Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastlake High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Redmond High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lake Washington High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Juanita High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Inglewood Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carl Sandburg Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,481
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,304
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 2,081
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,778
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 1,229
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar other schools in Kirkland
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Alexander Graham Bell Elementary
Standard public school
503 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
International Community School
Alternative education program
421 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Juanita Elementary
Standard public school
394 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
John Muir Elementary
Standard public school
321 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
Emerson K-12
Alternative education program
67 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
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 (~391 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carl Sandburg Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Carl Sandburg Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lake Washington 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 Carl Sandburg Elementary
How many students attend Carl Sandburg Elementary?
Carl Sandburg Elementary has 391 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kirkland, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carl Sandburg Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Carl Sandburg 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 Carl Sandburg Elementary?
7.5% of students at Carl Sandburg Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carl Sandburg Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Carl Sandburg Elementary is White at 56.5% of enrollment, in Kirkland, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carl Sandburg Elementary?
Carl Sandburg Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Carl Sandburg Elementary rank among schools in Kirkland?
By Resource Investment Index, Carl Sandburg Elementary ranks #3 of 6 schools in Kirkland, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Kirkland on the city page.
Is Carl Sandburg Elementary a good school?
Carl Sandburg Elementary earns 53/100 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 Lake Washington School District?
Besides Carl Sandburg Elementary, Lake Washington School District also operates Eastlake High School (2,481 students), Redmond High School (2,304 students), and Lake Washington High School (2,081 students). See the Lake Washington 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.