Enrollment
286
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 530816002575
Explorer Academy — Port Orchard, WA
Federal NCES profile for Explorer Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 38/100.
👥 Class size 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: South Kitsap School District · Washington
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.5:1
vs 17.8:1 Washington avg
+49% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.7%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Explorer Academy compares with Washington and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Explorer Academy reports 286 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 10.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 26.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 49% above the Washington state mean of 17.8:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 67% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 34.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 23% below the Washington average and 33% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 286 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1.
On the finance side, the surrounding South Kitsap School District spends $19,927 per pupil district-wide, below the Washington average of $23,175 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 19.4% from local sources (property taxes), 66.8% from the state, and 13.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Explorer Academy compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Washington state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 26.5:1 | ▲ 49% | 17.8:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.7% | ▼ 23% | 45.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 286 | top 34% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
34.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 23% below the Washington average of 45.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
26.5:1
students per teacher
— 49% above state mean
Top 95% in Washington — lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$19,927
per pupil, district-wide
— below Washington avg of $23,175
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 286 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 286 Top 34% in Washington — larger than 66% of 2,465 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 10.0
Students per teacher 26.5:1 +49% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 34.7% -23% vs state
NCES ID 530816002575
Student demographics
White 67.3%
Two or More 14.1%
Hispanic or Latino 13.4%
Asian 1.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
African American 0.7%
Largest group: White at 67.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 15
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 286:1
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Kitsap School District, which includes Explorer Academy.
$19,927
Per student
-14%
vs Washington
Avg $23,175
+2%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 19.4%
State 66.8%
Federal 13.8%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,448
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Enrollment
- 731
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Enrollment
- 689
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Enrollment
- 623
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Enrollment
- 529
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
Similar other schools in Port Orchard
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Orchard Heights Elementary
Standard public school
529 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Sunnyslope Elementary School
Standard public school
503 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Sidney Glen Elementary School
Standard public school
502 students 14:1 students per teacher
Manchester Elementary School
Standard public school
458 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Burley Glenwood Elementary
Standard public school
452 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Hidden Creek Elementary School
Standard public school
439 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Explorer Academy
How many students attend Explorer Academy?
Explorer Academy has 286 students enrolled. It is a other school in PORT ORCHARD, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Explorer Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Explorer Academy is 26.5:1, which is 49% higher than the Washington average of 17.8:1 and 67% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Explorer Academy?
34.7% of students at Explorer Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Explorer Academy?
The largest demographic group at Explorer Academy is White at 67.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in PORT ORCHARD, WA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Explorer Academy?
Explorer Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.