Enrollment
497
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Snohomish, WA
Cathcart Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cathcart Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 530802001322
👥 S:T ratio 17
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 1
📋 Attendance 85
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cathcart Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Washington schools.
- #4 of 9
- elementary schools in Snohomish · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.7:1
- large classes for Washington
- 23.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Cathcart Elementary has class sizes larger than 82% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cathcart Elementary ranks #4 of 9 elementary schools in Snohomish, WA.
School address
District: Snohomish School District · Washington
NCES ID 530802001322 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.7:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.0%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cathcart Elementary compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cathcart Elementary
Cathcart Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Snohomish, Washington, enrolling 497 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 23.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 497 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 465 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #309.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 497 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.2% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Snohomish's elementary schools, it stands alongside Dutch Hill Elementary (694 students): Cathcart Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.7:1 vs 19.3:1).
Snohomish School District also operates Glacier Peak High School (1,642 students) and Snohomish High School (1,496 students) alongside Cathcart 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 Cathcart Elementary compares
Cathcart 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 | 20.7:1 | ▲ 18% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.0% | ▼ 49% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 497 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.7:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
497
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% below the Washington average of 45.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20.7:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 82% in Washington - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
6.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$16,136
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 497 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 70.4%
Hispanic or Latino 16.7%
Two or More 6.7%
Asian 4.9%
African American 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 70.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.0, Cathcart Elementary is less mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Snohomish School District, which includes Cathcart Elementary.
$16,136
Per student
-17%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.1%
State 60.7%
Federal 7.3%
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 Cathcart Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glacier Peak High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Snohomish High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Centennial Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dutch Hill Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Little Cedars Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cathcart Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,642
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,496
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 734
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 694
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 646
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar elementary schools in Snohomish
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Dutch Hill Elementary
Standard public school
694 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Little Cedars Elementary School
Standard public school
646 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Machias Elementary
Standard public school
615 students 19.8:1 students per teacher
Riverview Elementary
Standard public school
489 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Central Emerson Elementary
Standard public school
477 students 31.8:1 students per teacher
Cascade View Elementary
Standard public school
412 students 17.9:1 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 (~497 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cathcart Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cathcart Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Snohomish 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 Cathcart Elementary
How many students attend Cathcart Elementary?
Cathcart Elementary has 497 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Snohomish, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cathcart Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cathcart Elementary is 20.7:1, which is 18% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 32% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cathcart Elementary?
23.0% of students at Cathcart Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cathcart Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cathcart Elementary is White at 70.4% of enrollment, in Snohomish, WA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cathcart Elementary?
Cathcart Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Cathcart Elementary rank among elementary schools in Snohomish?
By Resource Investment Index, Cathcart Elementary ranks #4 of 9 elementary schools in Snohomish, 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 Snohomish on the city page.
Is Cathcart Elementary a good school?
Cathcart Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Washington 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 Snohomish School District?
Besides Cathcart Elementary, Snohomish School District also operates Glacier Peak High School (1,642 students), Snohomish High School (1,496 students), and Centennial Middle School (734 students). See the Snohomish 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.