Enrollment
1,087
Massachusetts · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gardner, MA
Gardner Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Gardner Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 250513000750
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gardner Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Massachusetts schools.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Gardner · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.8:1
- large classes for Massachusetts
- 1,087
- students enrolled
Gardner Elementary School has class sizes larger than 96% of Massachusetts schools. Computed live against every Massachusetts school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gardner Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Gardner, MA.
School address
District: Gardner · Massachusetts
NCES ID 250513000750 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
61.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.8:1
vs 12.3:1 Massachusetts avg
+45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gardner Elementary School compares with Massachusetts and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gardner Elementary School
Gardner Elementary School is a large combined-grade school in Gardner, Massachusetts, enrolling 1,087 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.8:1 is larger than about 96% of Massachusetts schools and 45% above the 12.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Massachusetts, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,087 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,831 scored Massachusetts schools.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 362 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Gardner spends $16,991 per pupil, 24% below the Massachusetts average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Gardner's public schools, it stands alongside Gardner High (808 students): Gardner Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.8:1 vs 15.2:1).
Gardner also operates Gardner High (808 students) and Gardner Middle School (514 students) alongside Gardner 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 Gardner Elementary School compares
Gardner Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Massachusetts and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Massachusetts | Massachusetts avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.8:1 | ▲ 45% | 12.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 1,087 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.8:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,087
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
17.8:1
students per teacher
- 45% above state mean
Top 96% in Massachusetts - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
19.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$16,991
per pupil, district-wide
- below Massachusetts avg of $22,458
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 362 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 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 31.7%
Two or More 8.0%
African American 4.9%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 53.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.2, Gardner Elementary School is more mixed than the Massachusetts school average of 47.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gardner, which includes Gardner Elementary School.
$16,991
Per student
-24%
vs Massachusetts
Avg $22,458
+2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 12.7%
State 76.9%
Federal 10.4%
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 Gardner Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gardner High | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Gardner Middle School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Gardner Academy for Learning and Technology | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gardner Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 808
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 514
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 123
- Students per teacher
- 30.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar other schools in Gardner
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Massachusetts, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,087 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gardner Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Gardner Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Gardner'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 Gardner Elementary School
How many students attend Gardner Elementary School?
Gardner Elementary School has 1,087 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gardner, MA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gardner Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Gardner Elementary School is 17.8:1, which is 45% higher than the Massachusetts average of 12.3:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gardner Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Gardner Elementary School is White at 53.7% of enrollment, in Gardner, MA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gardner Elementary School?
Gardner Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Gardner Elementary School rank among public schools in Gardner?
By Resource Investment Index, Gardner Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Gardner, MA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Gardner on the city page.
Is Gardner Elementary School a good school?
Gardner Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Massachusetts 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 Gardner?
Besides Gardner Elementary School, Gardner also operates Gardner High (808 students), Gardner Middle School (514 students), and Gardner Academy for Learning and Technology (123 students). See the Gardner 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.