Enrollment
866
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Tacoma, WA
Fife Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Fife Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 530288003792
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fife Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington schools.
- #6 of 17
- elementary schools in Tacoma · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17:1
- students per teacher
- 45.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Fife Elementary School has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fife Elementary School ranks #6 of 17 elementary schools in Tacoma, WA.
School address
District: Fife School District · Washington
NCES ID 530288003792 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.7%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fife Elementary School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fife Elementary School
Fife Elementary School is a large elementary school in Tacoma, Washington, enrolling 866 students.
At 17:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Washington median, within a few percentage points of the 17.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 45.7% lands close to the Washington typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Washington, bigger than 91% of state schools at 866 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 228 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #86.
Its student body is led by White (29%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 80/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 433 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
14.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Tacoma's elementary schools, it stands alongside Clover Creek Elementary (617 students): Fife Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17:1 vs 16.2:1).
Fife School District also operates Fife High School (885 students) and Columbia Junior High School (619 students) alongside Fife 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 Fife Elementary School compares
Fife Elementary 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 | 17:1 | ▼ 3% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.7% | ▲ 2% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 866 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
866
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% above the Washington average of 45.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 56% in Washington - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
14.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$16,780
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 433 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 21 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 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 28.8%
Hispanic or Latino 23.9%
Two or More 14.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 12.1%
Asian 10.4%
African American 10.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 28.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 80.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 80.4, Fife Elementary School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fife School District, which includes Fife Elementary School.
$16,780
Per student
-14%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.2%
State 59.8%
Federal 8.0%
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 Fife Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fife High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Columbia Junior High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Surprise Lake Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Discovery Primary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hedden Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fife Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 885
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 619
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 613
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 506
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 469
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar elementary schools in Tacoma
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Clover Creek Elementary
Standard public school
617 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School
Standard public school
592 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Naches Trail Elementary
Standard public school
519 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Crescent Heights Elementary School
Standard public school
451 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
Harvard Elementary
Standard public school
445 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Browns Point Elementary School
Standard public school
445 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~866 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fife Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Fife Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Fife 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 Fife Elementary School
How many students attend Fife Elementary School?
Fife Elementary School has 866 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Tacoma, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fife Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Fife Elementary School is 17:1, which is 3% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Fife Elementary School?
45.7% of students at Fife Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fife Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Fife Elementary School is White at 28.8% of enrollment, in Tacoma, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 80.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fife Elementary School?
Fife Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Fife Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Tacoma?
By Resource Investment Index, Fife Elementary School ranks #6 of 17 elementary schools in Tacoma, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Tacoma on the city page.
Is Fife Elementary School a good school?
Fife Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Fife School District?
Besides Fife Elementary School, Fife School District also operates Fife High School (885 students), Columbia Junior High School (619 students), and Surprise Lake Middle School (613 students). See the Fife 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.