Enrollment
578
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Elma, WA
Elma High School
Federal NCES profile for Elma High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 530249000372
👥 S:T ratio 20
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Elma High School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Washington schools.
- #2 of 3
- high schools in Elma · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.9:1
- large classes for Washington
- 71.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Elma High School has class sizes larger than 78% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Elma High School ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Elma, WA.
School address
District: Elma School District · Washington
NCES ID 530249000372 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.9:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
71.2%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Elma High School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Elma High School
Elma High School is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Elma, Washington, enrolling 578 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 71.2% of students qualify for free meals, 58% above the Washington average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 578 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 311 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #91.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%) (diversity index 51/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 289 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Elma's high schools, it stands alongside East Grays Harbor Open Doors (42 students): Elma High School is larger than that campus by headcount.
Elma School District also operates Elma Elementary School (688 students) and Elma Middle School (324 students) alongside Elma High 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 Elma High School compares
Elma High School on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.9:1 | ▲ 13% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.2% | ▲ 58% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 578 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.9:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
578
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
71.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 58% above the Washington average of 45.0%
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
19.9:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 78% in Washington - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
18.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$16,114
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 289 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.0 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 65.2%
Hispanic or Latino 25.4%
Two or More 5.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.4%
African American 1.2%
Asian 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 65.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.7, Elma High School is less mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Elma School District, which includes Elma High School.
$16,114
Per student
-17%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.4%
State 74.1%
Federal 12.5%
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 Elma High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elma Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Elma Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Grays Harbor Open Doors | Smaller | Higher economic need | No ratio data |
| Eagle Virtual Sky Academy | Smaller | Higher economic need | No ratio data |
| East Grays Harbor High School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Elma High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 688
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 324
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 42
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 41
- Students per teacher
- -
- Enrollment
- 4
- Students per teacher
- 4:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
Similar high schools in Elma
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~578 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Elma High School's federal record.
- Compare Elma High School against another school. Compare schools
- Elma 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 Elma High School
How many students attend Elma High School?
Elma High School has 578 students enrolled. It is a high school in Elma, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Elma High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Elma High School is 19.9:1, which is 13% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 27% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Elma High School?
71.2% of students at Elma High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Elma High School?
The largest demographic group at Elma High School is White at 65.2% of enrollment, in Elma, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Elma High School?
Elma High School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Elma High School rank among high schools in Elma?
By Resource Investment Index, Elma High School ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Elma, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Elma on the city page.
Is Elma High School a good school?
Elma High School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% 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 Elma School District?
Besides Elma High School, Elma School District also operates Elma Elementary School (688 students), Elma Middle School (324 students), and East Grays Harbor Open Doors (42 students). See the Elma 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.