Elementary school (grades K-5) · Nashua, NH

Fairgrounds Elementary School

Federal NCES profile for Fairgrounds Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.

2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 330498000508
0/100100/10035/100
👥 S:T ratio
53
🌟 Gifted program
30
🎓 Counselors
56
📋 Attendance
0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Fairgrounds Elementary School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Hampshire median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New Hampshire schools.

#9 of 10
elementary schools in Nashua · Resource Index
35
Resource Index · Typical
11.7:1
students per teacher
47.2%
free-lunch eligible

Fairgrounds Elementary School has class sizes near the New Hampshire median. Computed live against every New Hampshire school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Fairgrounds Elementary School ranks #9 of 10 elementary schools in Nashua, NH.

Enrollment

445

New Hampshire · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

38.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

11.7:1

vs 11.3:1 New Hampshire avg

+4% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

47.2%

vs 21.5% New Hampshire avg

+120% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Fairgrounds Elementary School compares with New Hampshire and U.S. medians

Slightly above state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at Fairgrounds Elementary School

Fairgrounds Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Nashua, New Hampshire, enrolling 445 students.

Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 11.7:1 puts it in the larger third of New Hampshire schools by student-teacher ratio.

Economic need is high: 47.2% of students qualify for free meals, 120% above the New Hampshire average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.

Enrollment of 445 puts it in the larger third of New Hampshire schools by headcount.

Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 500 scored New Hampshire schools.

Against 40 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #23.

Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (47%) and White (37%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 63/100).

Counselor coverage is strong, about 223 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.

Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).

The surrounding Nashua School District spends $17,617 per pupil, 38% below the New Hampshire average, a leaner-resourced district than most.

Among Nashua's elementary schools, it stands alongside Ledge Street School (454 students): Fairgrounds Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (11.7:1 vs 10.6:1).

Nashua School District also operates Nashua High School South (1,686 students) and Nashua High School North (1,543 students) alongside Fairgrounds 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 Fairgrounds Elementary School compares

Fairgrounds Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against New Hampshire and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs New Hampshire New Hampshire avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 11.7:1 ▲ 4% 11.3:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 47.2% ▲ 120% 21.5% 51.7%
Enrollment 445 top 21% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

11.7:1
Leaner classes than 78% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
445
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
47.2%
free-lunch eligible - 120% above the New Hampshire average of 21.5%
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
11.7:1
students per teacher - 4% above state mean
Top 65% in New Hampshire - lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
48.8%
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
$17,617
per pupil, district-wide - below New Hampshire avg of $28,358
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 223 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 27 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.1 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

Hispanic or Latino 46.5%
White 36.9%
Two or More 10.8%
African American 3.4%
Asian 2.5%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 46.5% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 63.4/100

Simpson diversity index - at 63.4, Fairgrounds Elementary School is more mixed than the New Hampshire school average of 24.3.

Programs

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Nashua School District, which includes Fairgrounds Elementary School.

$17,617
Per student
-38%
vs New Hampshire
Avg $28,358
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.0%
State 33.5%
Federal 11.5%

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 Fairgrounds Elementary School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Nashua High School South Larger Lower economic need Similar S:T ratio
Nashua High School North Larger Lower economic need Similar S:T ratio
Elm Street Middle School Larger Lower economic need Lower S:T ratio
Pennichuck Middle School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Fairgrounds Middle School Larger Lower economic need Similar S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Fairgrounds Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Nashua School District · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar elementary schools in Nashua

6 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 New Hampshire, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on Fairgrounds Elementary School's federal record.

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 Fairgrounds Elementary School

How many students attend Fairgrounds Elementary School?

Fairgrounds Elementary School has 445 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Nashua, NH.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Fairgrounds Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Fairgrounds Elementary School is 11.7:1, which is 4% higher than the New Hampshire average of 11.3:1 and 25% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Fairgrounds Elementary School?

47.2% of students at Fairgrounds Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Hampshire average of 21.5%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fairgrounds Elementary School?

The largest demographic group at Fairgrounds Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 46.5% of enrollment, in Nashua, NH. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.4/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Fairgrounds Elementary School?

Fairgrounds Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Fairgrounds Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Nashua?

By Resource Investment Index, Fairgrounds Elementary School ranks #9 of 10 elementary schools in Nashua, NH. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Nashua on the city page.

Is Fairgrounds Elementary School a good school?

Fairgrounds Elementary School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Hampshire median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New Hampshire 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 Nashua School District?

Besides Fairgrounds Elementary School, Nashua School District also operates Nashua High School South (1,686 students), Nashua High School North (1,543 students), and Elm Street Middle School (874 students). See the Nashua School District district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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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.