Enrollment
1,075
Ohio · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Defiance, OH
Defiance Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Defiance Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 390438605516
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Defiance Elementary School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Ohio median. It is also one of the largest schools in Ohio.
- #4 of 4
- elementary schools in Defiance · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.3:1
- students per teacher
- 55.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Defiance Elementary School has class sizes near the Ohio median. Computed live against every Ohio school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Defiance Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Defiance, OH.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
62.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.3:1
vs 18.2:1 Ohio avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.2%
vs 31.6% Ohio avg
+75% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Defiance Elementary School compares with Ohio and U.S. medians
What stands out at Defiance Elementary School
Defiance Elementary School is a higher-need, large elementary school in Defiance, Ohio, enrolling 1,075 students.
At 17.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Ohio median, within a few percentage points of the 18.2:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 55.2% of students qualify for free meals, 75% above the Ohio average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Ohio, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,075 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 3,574 Ohio schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 76 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Ohio schools statewide, it ranks #68, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 538 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Defiance's elementary schools, it stands alongside Tinora Elementary School (355 students): Defiance Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.3:1 vs 16.9:1).
Defiance City also operates Defiance High School (697 students) and Defiance Middle School (572 students) alongside Defiance Elementary 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 Defiance Elementary School compares
Defiance Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Ohio and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Ohio | Ohio avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.3:1 | ▼ 5% | 18.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.2% | ▲ 75% | 31.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,075 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.3:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,075
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 75% above the Ohio average of 31.6%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.3:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 50% in Ohio - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
32.7%
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
$13,655
per pupil, district-wide
- below Ohio avg of $14,655
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 538 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 59.2%
Hispanic or Latino 28.5%
Two or More 8.9%
African American 2.9%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: White at 59.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.0, Defiance Elementary School is more mixed than the Ohio school average of 35.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Defiance City, which includes Defiance Elementary School.
$13,655
Per student
-7%
vs Ohio
Avg $14,655
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.1%
State 51.8%
Federal 15.1%
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.
How Defiance Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defiance High School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Defiance Middle School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Defiance Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 697
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 572
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar elementary schools in Defiance
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Ohio, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,075 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Defiance Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Defiance Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Defiance City'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 Defiance Elementary School
How many students attend Defiance Elementary School?
Defiance Elementary School has 1,075 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Defiance, OH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Defiance Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Defiance Elementary School is 17.3:1, which is 5% lower than the Ohio average of 18.2:1 and 10% higher 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 Defiance Elementary School?
55.2% of students at Defiance Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Ohio average of 31.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Defiance Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Defiance Elementary School is White at 59.2% of enrollment, in Defiance, OH. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Defiance Elementary School?
Defiance Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (lower 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 Defiance Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Defiance?
By Resource Investment Index, Defiance Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Defiance, OH. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Defiance on the city page.
Is Defiance Elementary School a good school?
Defiance Elementary School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Ohio median. It is also one of the largest schools in Ohio. 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 Defiance City?
Besides Defiance Elementary School, Defiance City also operates Defiance High School (697 students) and Defiance Middle School (572 students). See the Defiance City 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.