Enrollment
324
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Elma, WA
Elma Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Elma Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 530249002060
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Elma Middle School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Washington schools.
- #6 of 6
- public schools in Elma · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.1:1
- large classes for Washington
- 75.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Elma Middle School has class sizes larger than 73% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Elma Middle School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Elma, WA.
School address
District: Elma School District · Washington
NCES ID 530249002060 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.1:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.2%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+67% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Elma Middle School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Elma Middle School
Elma Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Elma, Washington, enrolling 324 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 75.2% of students qualify for free meals, 67% above the Washington average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 324 students, its enrollment sits close to the Washington median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 260 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #181.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 341 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Elma School District also operates Elma Elementary School (688 students) and Elma High School (578 students) alongside Elma Middle 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 Middle School compares
Elma Middle 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 | 19.1:1 | ▲ 9% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.2% | ▲ 67% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 324 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.1:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
324
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 67% 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
19.1:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 73% in Washington - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.7%
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
$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
Counselors0.9 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 31 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.2 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 64.5%
Hispanic or Latino 24.7%
Two or More 7.1%
Asian 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
African American 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 64.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.8, Elma Middle School is about as mixed as the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Elma School District, which includes Elma Middle 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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elma Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Elma High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Grays Harbor Open Doors | Smaller | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Eagle Virtual Sky Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| East Grays Harbor High School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Elma Middle 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
- 578
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- 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 middle 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 (~324 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Elma Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Elma Middle 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 Middle School
How many students attend Elma Middle School?
Elma Middle School has 324 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Elma, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Elma Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Elma Middle School is 19.1:1, which is 9% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Elma Middle School?
75.2% of students at Elma Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Elma Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Elma Middle School is White at 64.5% of enrollment, in Elma, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Elma Middle School?
Elma Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Elma Middle School rank among public schools in Elma?
By Resource Investment Index, Elma Middle School ranks #6 of 6 public 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 public schools in Elma on the city page.
Is Elma Middle School a good school?
Elma Middle School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% 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 Middle School, Elma School District also operates Elma Elementary School (688 students), Elma High School (578 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.