Enrollment
637
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Cheney, WA
Cheney Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Cheney Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 530123000224
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 39
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cheney Middle School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Cheney · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.7:1
- students per teacher
- 52.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Cheney Middle School has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cheney Middle School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Cheney, WA.
School address
District: Cheney School District · Washington
NCES ID 530123000224 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.7:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.2%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cheney Middle School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cheney Middle School
Cheney Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Cheney, Washington, enrolling 637 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 52.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 637 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 418 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #182.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 319 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Cheney School District spends $14,274 per pupil, 27% below the Washington average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Cheney School District also operates Cheney High School (1,491 students) and Sunset Elementary (634 students) alongside Cheney Middle 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 Cheney Middle School compares
Cheney Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.7:1 | ▲ 1% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.2% | ▲ 16% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 637 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.7:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
637
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% 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
17.7:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 62% in Washington - lower ratio than 38% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
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 319 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
77
in-school suspensions + 45 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.2 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 70.3%
Hispanic or Latino 16.6%
Two or More 6.0%
African American 3.0%
Asian 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
Largest group: White at 70.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.3, Cheney Middle School 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 Cheney Middle School.
$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 Cheney Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheney High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sunset Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Westwood Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Windsor Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Betz Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cheney Middle School'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
- 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
- Enrollment
- 535
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar middle 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 (~637 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cheney Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Cheney Middle School 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 Cheney Middle School
How many students attend Cheney Middle School?
Cheney Middle School has 637 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Cheney, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cheney Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cheney Middle School is 17.7:1, which is 1% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cheney Middle School?
52.2% of students at Cheney Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cheney Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Cheney Middle School is White at 70.3% of enrollment, in Cheney, WA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cheney Middle School?
Cheney Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Cheney Middle School rank among public schools in Cheney?
By Resource Investment Index, Cheney Middle School ranks #5 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 Cheney Middle School a good school?
Cheney Middle School earns 44/100 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 Cheney Middle School, Cheney School District also operates Cheney High School (1,491 students), Sunset Elementary (634 students), and Westwood Middle School (624 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.