Enrollment
260
Oregon · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Ashland, OR
Helman Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Helman Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 410156000397
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 61
📋 Attendance 19
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Helman Elementary School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 89% of Oregon schools.
- #2 of 5
- elementary schools in Ashland · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.4:1
- small classes for Oregon
- 24.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Helman Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 89% of Oregon schools. Computed live against every Oregon school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Helman Elementary School ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Ashland, OR.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 17.6:1 Oregon avg
-30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.8%
vs 52.8% Oregon avg
-53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Helman Elementary School compares with Oregon and U.S. medians
What stands out at Helman Elementary School
Helman Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Ashland, Oregon, enrolling 260 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12.4:1, Helman Elementary School is leaner than roughly 89% of Oregon schools and 30% under the state's 17.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 24.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 260 puts it in the smaller third of Oregon schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 91% of the 1,273 Oregon schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 135 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Oregon schools statewide, it ranks #9, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Two or More (13%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 196 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Ashland's elementary schools, it stands alongside Bellview Elementary School (248 students): Helman Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.4:1 vs 14.6:1).
Ashland Sd 5 also operates Ashland High School (877 students) and Ashland Middle School (529 students) alongside Helman 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 Helman Elementary School compares
Helman Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Oregon and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Oregon | Oregon avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.4:1 | ▼ 30% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.8% | ▼ 53% | 52.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 260 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
260
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 53% below the Oregon average of 52.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 30% below state mean
Top 11% in Oregon - lower ratio than 89% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
32.3%
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
$19,611
per pupil, district-wide
- above Oregon avg of $18,086
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.3 FTE
Per 195 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 75.0%
Two or More 13.1%
Hispanic or Latino 10.4%
Asian 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 75.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.9, Helman Elementary School is less mixed than the Oregon school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ashland Sd 5, which includes Helman Elementary School.
$19,611
Per student
+8%
vs Oregon
Avg $18,086
+18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.7%
State 31.8%
Federal 15.5%
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 Helman Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ashland Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bellview Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Walker Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Trails Outdoor School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Helman Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 877
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 529
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 248
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 242
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 157
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar elementary schools in Ashland
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Bellview Elementary School
Standard public school
248 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Walker Elementary School
Standard public school
242 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Trails Outdoor School
Standard public school
157 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Pinehurst Elementary School
Standard public school
8 students 4:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Oregon, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~260 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Helman Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Helman Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Ashland Sd 5'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 Helman Elementary School
How many students attend Helman Elementary School?
Helman Elementary School has 260 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Ashland, OR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Helman Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Helman Elementary School is 12.4:1, which is 30% lower than the Oregon average of 17.6:1 and 21% 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 Helman Elementary School?
24.8% of students at Helman Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Oregon average of 52.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Helman Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Helman Elementary School is White at 75.0% of enrollment, in Ashland, OR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Helman Elementary School?
Helman Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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 Helman Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Ashland?
By Resource Investment Index, Helman Elementary School ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Ashland, OR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Ashland on the city page.
Is Helman Elementary School a good school?
Helman Elementary School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 89% of Oregon 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 Ashland Sd 5?
Besides Helman Elementary School, Ashland Sd 5 also operates Ashland High School (877 students), Ashland Middle School (529 students), and Bellview Elementary School (248 students). See the Ashland Sd 5 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.