Enrollment
580
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lacey, WA
Horizons Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Horizons Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 530585000601
👥 S:T ratio 17
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Horizons Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Washington schools.
- #7 of 9
- elementary schools in Lacey · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.7:1
- large classes for Washington
- 25.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Horizons Elementary has class sizes larger than 82% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Horizons Elementary ranks #7 of 9 elementary schools in Lacey, WA.
School address
District: North Thurston Public Schools · Washington
NCES ID 530585000601 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.7:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.9%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Horizons Elementary compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Horizons Elementary
Horizons Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Lacey, Washington, enrolling 580 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 25.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 580 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 2,394 Washington schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 487 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Washington schools statewide, it ranks #472, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (45%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 580 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
15.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Lacey's elementary schools, it stands alongside Olympic View Elementary (552 students): Horizons Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.7:1 vs 14.9:1).
North Thurston Public Schools also operates River Ridge High School (1,547 students) and Timberline High School (1,401 students) alongside Horizons 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 Horizons Elementary compares
Horizons 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 | 20.7:1 | ▲ 18% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.9% | ▼ 42% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 580 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.7:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
580
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
25.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% below the Washington average of 45.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20.7:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 82% in Washington - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
15.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$15,854
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 580 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.4 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 44.8%
Hispanic or Latino 21.7%
Two or More 19.1%
African American 6.2%
Asian 5.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 44.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.8, Horizons Elementary is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for North Thurston Public Schools, which includes Horizons Elementary.
$15,854
Per student
-19%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.4%
State 61.3%
Federal 8.3%
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 Horizons Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| River Ridge High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Timberline High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Thurston High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Nisqually Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Horizons Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,547
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,401
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,378
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 789
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 776
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar elementary schools in Lacey
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Olympic View Elementary
Standard public school
552 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Lydia Hawk Elementary
Standard public school
496 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Lakes Elementary School
Standard public school
495 students 16:1 students per teacher
Chambers Prairie Elementary School
Standard public school
490 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Woodland Elementary
Standard public school
458 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Evergreen Forest Elementary
Standard public school
442 students 14.7:1 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 (~580 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Horizons Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Horizons Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- North Thurston Public Schools'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 Horizons Elementary
How many students attend Horizons Elementary?
Horizons Elementary has 580 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lacey, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Horizons Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Horizons Elementary is 20.7:1, which is 18% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 32% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Horizons Elementary?
25.9% of students at Horizons Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Horizons Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Horizons Elementary is White at 44.8% of enrollment, in Lacey, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Horizons Elementary?
Horizons Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower 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 Horizons Elementary rank among elementary schools in Lacey?
By Resource Investment Index, Horizons Elementary ranks #7 of 9 elementary schools in Lacey, 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 Lacey on the city page.
Is Horizons Elementary a good school?
Horizons Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of 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 North Thurston Public Schools?
Besides Horizons Elementary, North Thurston Public Schools also operates River Ridge High School (1,547 students), Timberline High School (1,401 students), and North Thurston High School (1,378 students). See the North Thurston Public Schools 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.