Enrollment
505
Idaho · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 160210000717
Chief Joseph School of the Arts — Meridian, ID
Federal NCES profile for Chief Joseph School of the Arts, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 36/100.
👥 Class size 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 1
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Joint School District No. 2 · Idaho
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 17.3:1 Idaho avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.1%
vs 29.3% Idaho avg
+6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chief Joseph School of the Arts compares with Idaho and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Chief Joseph School of the Arts reports 505 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 33.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 9% below the Idaho state mean of 17.3:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 1% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 31.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 6% above the Idaho average and 40% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 495 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1.
On the finance side, the surrounding Joint School District No. 2 spends $8,978 per pupil district-wide, below the Idaho average of $12,943 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 22.0% from local sources (property taxes), 63.9% from the state, and 14.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Chief Joseph School of the Arts compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Idaho state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Idaho | Idaho avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.8:1 | ▼ 9% | 17.3:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.1% | ▲ 6% | 29.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 505 | top 75% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
31.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 6% above the Idaho average of 29.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.8:1
students per teacher
— 9% below state mean
Top 35% in Idaho — lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$8,978
per pupil, district-wide
— below Idaho avg of $12,943
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 495 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 505 Top 75% in Idaho — larger than 25% of 778 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 33.0
Students per teacher 15.8:1 -9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 31.1% +6% vs state
NCES ID 160210000717
Student demographics
White 60.0%
Hispanic or Latino 31.7%
Two or More 4.2%
African American 1.8%
Asian 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 60.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 495:1
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 3
Out-of-school suspensions 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Joint School District No. 2, which includes Chief Joseph School of the Arts.
$8,978
Per student
-31%
vs Idaho
Avg $12,943
-54%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 22.0%
State 63.9%
Federal 14.1%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,463
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Enrollment
- 1,884
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,848
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Enrollment
- 1,774
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Enrollment
- 1,765
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
Similar other schools in Meridian
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Idaho Virtual Academy
Standard public school
1,801 students 20.5:1 students per teacher
Compass Public Charter School
Standard public school
1,265 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
Hillsdale Elementary
Standard public school
769 students 20.9:1 students per teacher
Pleasant View Elementary
Standard public school
747 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Silver Trail Elementary School
Standard public school
628 students 20:1 students per teacher
Siena Elementary
Standard public school
565 students 19.8:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Chief Joseph School of the Arts
How many students attend Chief Joseph School of the Arts?
Chief Joseph School of the Arts has 505 students enrolled. It is a other school in MERIDIAN, ID.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chief Joseph School of the Arts?
The student-teacher ratio at Chief Joseph School of the Arts is 15.8:1, which is 9% lower than the Idaho average of 17.3:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Chief Joseph School of the Arts?
31.1% of students at Chief Joseph School of the Arts are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Idaho average of 29.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chief Joseph School of the Arts?
The largest demographic group at Chief Joseph School of the Arts is White at 60.0%. The school serves a diverse student body in MERIDIAN, ID.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chief Joseph School of the Arts?
Chief Joseph School of the Arts has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.