Enrollment
348
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Steilacoom, WA
Cherrydale Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cherrydale Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 530846001429
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cherrydale Elementary earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Washington schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Steilacoom · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.4:1
- small classes for Washington
- 33.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Cherrydale Elementary has class sizes smaller than 82% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cherrydale Elementary ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Steilacoom, WA.
School address
District: Steilacoom Hist. School District · Washington
NCES ID 530846001429 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.5%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cherrydale Elementary compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cherrydale Elementary
Cherrydale Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Steilacoom, Washington, enrolling 348 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 33.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 348 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 380 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #177.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 580 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Steilacoom Hist. School District also operates Steilacoom High (968 students) and Pioneer Middle (758 students) alongside Cherrydale 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 Cherrydale Elementary compares
Cherrydale 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 | 13.4:1 | ▼ 24% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.5% | ▼ 26% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 348 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
348
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 24% below state mean
Top 18% in Washington - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
8.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$16,606
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.6 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 50.6%
Hispanic or Latino 21.3%
Two or More 17.5%
African American 5.5%
Asian 4.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 50.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.3, Cherrydale Elementary is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Steilacoom Hist. School District, which includes Cherrydale Elementary.
$16,606
Per student
-15%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.5%
State 59.0%
Federal 14.5%
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 Cherrydale Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steilacoom High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pioneer Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chloe Clark Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Saltars Point Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Developmental Preschool | Smaller | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Cherrydale Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 968
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 758
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 475
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 437
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 29
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 35/100
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 (~348 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cherrydale Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cherrydale Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Steilacoom Hist. 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 Cherrydale Elementary
How many students attend Cherrydale Elementary?
Cherrydale Elementary has 348 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Steilacoom, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cherrydale Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cherrydale Elementary is 13.4:1, which is 24% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 15% 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 Cherrydale Elementary?
33.5% of students at Cherrydale Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cherrydale Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cherrydale Elementary is White at 50.6% of enrollment, in Steilacoom, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cherrydale Elementary?
Cherrydale Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Cherrydale Elementary rank among public schools in Steilacoom?
By Resource Investment Index, Cherrydale Elementary ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Steilacoom, 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 Steilacoom on the city page.
Is Cherrydale Elementary a good school?
Cherrydale Elementary earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller 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 Steilacoom Hist. School District?
Besides Cherrydale Elementary, Steilacoom Hist. School District also operates Steilacoom High (968 students), Pioneer Middle (758 students), and Chloe Clark Elementary (475 students). See the Steilacoom Hist. 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.