Enrollment
441
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · West Richland, WA
Desert Sky Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Desert Sky Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 530732003901
👥 S:T ratio 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Desert Sky Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #7 of 7
- public schools in West Richland · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.6:1
- students per teacher
- 13.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Desert Sky Elementary has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Sky Elementary ranks #7 of 7 public schools in West Richland, WA.
School address
District: Richland School District · Washington
NCES ID 530732003901 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.6:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.5%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Desert Sky Elementary compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Desert Sky Elementary
Desert Sky Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in West Richland, Washington, enrolling 441 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 13.5% free-meal eligibility runs 70% below the Washington average.
With 441 students, its enrollment sits close to the Washington median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 2,394 Washington schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 342 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Washington schools statewide, it ranks #332, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (77%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 39/100).
The surrounding Richland School District spends $14,794 per pupil, 24% below the Washington average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among West Richland's elementary schools, it stands alongside William Wiley Elementary School (493 students): Desert Sky Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.6:1 vs 17:1).
Richland School District also operates Richland High School (2,218 students) and Hanford High School (1,959 students) alongside Desert Sky 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 Desert Sky Elementary compares
Desert Sky 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 | 17.6:1 | ▼ 0% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.5% | ▼ 70% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 441 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.6:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
441
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 70% below the Washington average of 45.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.6:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 61% in Washington - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$14,794
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.
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 77.1%
Hispanic or Latino 12.7%
Two or More 6.3%
Asian 2.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
African American 0.5%
Largest group: White at 77.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.5, Desert Sky Elementary is less mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Richland School District, which includes Desert Sky Elementary.
$14,794
Per student
-24%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.0%
State 65.7%
Federal 10.3%
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 Desert Sky Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richland High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hanford High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Leona Libby Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Carmichael Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Three Rivers Home Link | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Desert Sky Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,218
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,959
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 805
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 791
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 756
- Students per teacher
- 37.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar elementary schools in West Richland
1 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 Washington, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~441 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desert Sky Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Desert Sky Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Richland 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 Desert Sky Elementary
How many students attend Desert Sky Elementary?
Desert Sky Elementary has 441 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in West Richland, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Sky Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Desert Sky Elementary is 17.6:1, which is 0% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 12% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Desert Sky Elementary?
13.5% of students at Desert Sky Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Desert Sky Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Desert Sky Elementary is White at 77.1% of enrollment, in West Richland, WA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desert Sky Elementary?
Desert Sky Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Desert Sky Elementary rank among public schools in West Richland?
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Sky Elementary ranks #7 of 7 public schools in West Richland, 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 West Richland on the city page.
Is Desert Sky Elementary a good school?
Desert Sky Elementary earns 30/100 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 Richland School District?
Besides Desert Sky Elementary, Richland School District also operates Richland High School (2,218 students), Hanford High School (1,959 students), and Leona Libby Middle School (805 students). See the Richland 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.