Enrollment
500
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Des Moines, WA
Des Moines Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Des Moines Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 530354000525
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 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
Des Moines Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington schools.
- #1 of 4
- schools in Des Moines · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.2:1
- students per teacher
- 51.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Des Moines Elementary has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Des Moines Elementary ranks #1 of 4 schools in Des Moines, WA.
School address
District: Highline School District · Washington
NCES ID 530354000525 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.3%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Des Moines Elementary compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Des Moines Elementary
Des Moines Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Des Moines, Washington, enrolling 500 students.
At 17.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Washington median, within a few percentage points of the 17.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 51.3% lands close to the Washington typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 500 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 504 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #222.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (29%) and White (22%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 80/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 500 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Des Moines's public schools, it stands alongside Midway Elementary (548 students): Des Moines Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.2:1 vs 17.7:1).
Highline School District also operates Mount Rainier High School (1,846 students) and Highline High School (1,423 students) alongside Des Moines 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 Des Moines Elementary compares
Des Moines 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 | 17.2:1 | ▼ 2% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.3% | ▲ 14% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 500 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
500
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% 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
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 58% in Washington - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
8.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$19,077
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 500 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 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
Hispanic or Latino 29.0%
White 22.2%
African American 16.8%
Two or More 16.8%
Asian 11.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 3.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 29.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 79.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 79.6, Des Moines Elementary is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Highline School District, which includes Des Moines Elementary.
$19,077
Per student
-2%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.7%
State 55.7%
Federal 14.6%
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 Des Moines Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Rainier High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highline High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Evergreen High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Glacier Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cascade Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Des Moines Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,846
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,423
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,080
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 803
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 671
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
Similar other schools in Des Moines
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~500 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Des Moines Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Des Moines Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Highline 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 Des Moines Elementary
How many students attend Des Moines Elementary?
Des Moines Elementary has 500 students enrolled. It is a public school in Des Moines, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Des Moines Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Des Moines Elementary is 17.2:1, which is 2% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 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 Des Moines Elementary?
51.3% of students at Des Moines Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Des Moines Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Des Moines Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 29.0% of enrollment, in Des Moines, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 79.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Des Moines Elementary?
Des Moines Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Des Moines Elementary rank among schools in Des Moines?
By Resource Investment Index, Des Moines Elementary ranks #1 of 4 schools in Des Moines, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Des Moines on the city page.
Is Des Moines Elementary a good school?
Des Moines Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Highline School District?
Besides Des Moines Elementary, Highline School District also operates Mount Rainier High School (1,846 students), Highline High School (1,423 students), and Evergreen High School (1,080 students). See the Highline 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.