Enrollment
324
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Chewelah, WA
Gess Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Gess Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 530126000229
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gess Elementary earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of Washington schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Chewelah · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.7:1
- small classes for Washington
- 61.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Gess Elementary has class sizes smaller than 70% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gess Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Chewelah, WA.
School address
District: Chewelah School District · Washington
NCES ID 530126000229 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.8%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gess Elementary compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gess Elementary
Gess Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Chewelah, Washington, enrolling 324 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 61.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 324 students, its enrollment sits close to the Washington median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 337 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #65.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 22/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 287 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
15.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 19.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Chewelah School District also operates Jenkins Junior/Senior High (322 students) and Quartzite Learning (113 students) alongside Gess 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 Gess Elementary compares
Gess 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 | 14.7:1 | ▼ 16% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.8% | ▲ 37% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 324 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
324
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% 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
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 30% in Washington - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
15.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$16,635
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.1 FTE
Per 287 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
27
in-school suspensions + 27 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.7 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 88.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.6%
Two or More 3.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%
African American 0.9%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: White at 88.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.6, Gess Elementary is less mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chewelah School District, which includes Gess Elementary.
$16,635
Per student
-15%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.9%
State 68.6%
Federal 19.6%
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 Gess Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jenkins Junior/Senior High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Quartzite Learning | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chewelah Open Doors Reengagement Program | Smaller | Higher economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Gess Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 322
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 113
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 40
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 30/100
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 (~324 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gess Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Gess Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Chewelah 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 Gess Elementary
How many students attend Gess Elementary?
Gess Elementary has 324 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Chewelah, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gess Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Gess Elementary is 14.7:1, which is 16% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 6% 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 Gess Elementary?
61.8% of students at Gess Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gess Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Gess Elementary is White at 88.3% of enrollment, in Chewelah, WA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gess Elementary?
Gess Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (higher 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 Gess Elementary rank among public schools in Chewelah?
By Resource Investment Index, Gess Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Chewelah, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Chewelah on the city page.
Is Gess Elementary a good school?
Gess Elementary earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of Washington schools. It is also less 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 Chewelah School District?
Besides Gess Elementary, Chewelah School District also operates Jenkins Junior/Senior High (322 students), Quartzite Learning (113 students), and Chewelah Open Doors Reengagement Program (40 students). See the Chewelah 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.