Enrollment
443
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Centralia, WA
Fords Prairie Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Fords Prairie Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 530114000208
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 11
📋 Attendance 61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fords Prairie Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #5 of 5
- elementary schools in Centralia · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.3:1
- students per teacher
- 78.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Fords Prairie Elementary has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fords Prairie Elementary ranks #5 of 5 elementary schools in Centralia, WA.
School address
District: Centralia School District · Washington
NCES ID 530114000208 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.3%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+74% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fords Prairie Elementary compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fords Prairie Elementary
Fords Prairie Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Centralia, Washington, enrolling 443 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 78.3% of students qualify for free meals, 74% above the Washington average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 443 students, its enrollment sits close to the Washington median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 268 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #126.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and Hispanic or Latino (40%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 443 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
15.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 15.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Centralia's elementary schools, it stands alongside Jefferson Lincoln Elementary (357 students): Fords Prairie Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.3:1 vs 12.8:1).
Centralia School District also operates Centralia High School (941 students) and Centralia Middle School (479 students) alongside Fords Prairie Elementary.
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 Fords Prairie Elementary compares
Fords Prairie Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.3:1 | ▼ 13% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.3% | ▲ 74% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 443 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
443
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 74% 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
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 38% in Washington - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
15.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$15,778
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 443 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.5 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 53.7%
Hispanic or Latino 40.2%
Two or More 2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
African American 0.7%
Asian 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: White at 53.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.9, Fords Prairie Elementary is about as mixed as the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Centralia School District, which includes Fords Prairie Elementary.
$15,778
Per student
-19%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.4%
State 69.0%
Federal 15.6%
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 Fords Prairie Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centralia High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Centralia Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Lincoln Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oakview Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Edison Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fords Prairie Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 941
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 479
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 357
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 317
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 313
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar elementary schools in Centralia
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Jefferson Lincoln Elementary
Standard public school
357 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
Oakview Elementary School
Standard public school
317 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Edison Elementary
Standard public school
313 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Washington Elementary School
Standard public school
294 students 12.8:1 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 (~443 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fords Prairie Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Fords Prairie Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Centralia 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 Fords Prairie Elementary
How many students attend Fords Prairie Elementary?
Fords Prairie Elementary has 443 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Centralia, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fords Prairie Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Fords Prairie Elementary is 15.3:1, which is 13% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 3% lower 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 Fords Prairie Elementary?
78.3% of students at Fords Prairie Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fords Prairie Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Fords Prairie Elementary is White at 53.7% of enrollment, in Centralia, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fords Prairie Elementary?
Fords Prairie Elementary 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 Fords Prairie Elementary rank among elementary schools in Centralia?
By Resource Investment Index, Fords Prairie Elementary ranks #5 of 5 elementary schools in Centralia, 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 Centralia on the city page.
Is Fords Prairie Elementary a good school?
Fords Prairie Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median. 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 Centralia School District?
Besides Fords Prairie Elementary, Centralia School District also operates Centralia High School (941 students), Centralia Middle School (479 students), and Jefferson Lincoln Elementary (357 students). See the Centralia 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.