Enrollment
484
Vermont · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Essex Junction, VT
Essex Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Essex Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 500039500123
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Essex Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Vermont schools.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Essex Junction · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.2:1
- large classes for Vermont
- 8.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Essex Elementary School has class sizes larger than 82% of Vermont schools. Computed live against every Vermont school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Essex Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Essex Junction, VT.
School address
NCES ID 500039500123 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 11.9:1 Vermont avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
8.8%
vs 27.6% Vermont avg
-68% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Essex Elementary School compares with Vermont and U.S. medians
What stands out at Essex Elementary School
Essex Elementary School is a lower-poverty, large combined-grade school in Essex Junction, Vermont, enrolling 484 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Vermont schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 8.8% free-meal eligibility runs 68% below the Vermont average.
Enrollment of 484 puts it in the larger third of Vermont schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 288 scored Vermont schools.
Against 44 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #16.
Its student body is led by White (80%) and Two or More (9%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 242 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union Sd #51 spends $27,102 per pupil, 42% above the Vermont average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Essex Junction's public schools, it stands alongside Summit Street School (305 students): Essex Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.2:1 vs 16.9:1).
Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union Sd #51 also operates Essex High School (1,224 students) and Essex Middle School (366 students) alongside Essex 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 Essex Elementary School compares
Essex Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Vermont and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Vermont | Vermont avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.2:1 | ▲ 19% | 11.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 8.8% | ▼ 68% | 27.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 484 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
484
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
8.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 68% below the Vermont average of 27.6%
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
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 82% in Vermont - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
19.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$27,102
per pupil, district-wide
- above Vermont avg of $19,105
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 242 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 79.5%
Two or More 9.3%
Hispanic or Latino 4.5%
Asian 4.1%
African American 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 79.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.5, Essex Elementary School is more mixed than the Vermont school average of 19.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union Sd #51, which includes Essex Elementary School.
$27,102
Per student
+42%
vs Vermont
Avg $19,105
+63%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 6.4%
State 85.8%
Federal 7.9%
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 Essex Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essex High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Essex Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Founders Memorial School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Summit Street School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Albert D. Lawton School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Essex Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,224
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 366
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 353
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 305
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 297
- Students per teacher
- 9:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
Similar other schools in Essex Junction
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Vermont, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~484 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Essex Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Essex Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union Sd #51'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 Essex Elementary School
How many students attend Essex Elementary School?
Essex Elementary School has 484 students enrolled. It is a public school in Essex Junction, VT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Essex Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Essex Elementary School is 14.2:1, which is 19% higher than the Vermont average of 11.9:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Essex Elementary School?
8.8% of students at Essex Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Vermont average of 27.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Essex Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Essex Elementary School is White at 79.5% of enrollment, in Essex Junction, VT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Essex Elementary School?
Essex Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Essex Elementary School rank among schools in Essex Junction?
By Resource Investment Index, Essex Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Essex Junction, VT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Essex Junction on the city page.
Is Essex Elementary School a good school?
Essex Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Vermont 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 Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union Sd #51?
Besides Essex Elementary School, Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union Sd #51 also operates Essex High School (1,224 students), Essex Middle School (366 students), and Founders Memorial School (353 students). See the Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union Sd #51 district page for the complete list.
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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.