Enrollment
422
Massachusetts · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Watertown, MA
James Russell Lowell
Federal NCES profile for James Russell Lowell, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 251218002002
👥 S:T ratio 59
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 16
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James Russell Lowell earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of Massachusetts schools.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Watertown · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.3:1
- small classes for Massachusetts
- 422
- students enrolled
James Russell Lowell has class sizes smaller than 76% of Massachusetts schools. Computed live against every Massachusetts school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, James Russell Lowell ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Watertown, MA.
School address
District: Watertown · Massachusetts
NCES ID 251218002002 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.3:1
vs 12.3:1 Massachusetts avg
-16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James Russell Lowell compares with Massachusetts and U.S. medians
What stands out at James Russell Lowell
James Russell Lowell is a mid-sized elementary school in Watertown, Massachusetts, enrolling 422 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Massachusetts schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 422 students, its enrollment sits close to the Massachusetts median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,831 scored Massachusetts schools.
Its student body is led by White (55%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 422 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
12.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Watertown spends $27,743 per pupil, 24% above the Massachusetts average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Watertown's elementary schools, it stands alongside Cunniff (320 students): James Russell Lowell is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (10.3:1 vs 9.1:1).
Watertown also operates Watertown High (761 students) and Hosmer (758 students) alongside James Russell Lowell.
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 James Russell Lowell compares
James Russell Lowell on the metrics families compare, against Massachusetts and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Massachusetts | Massachusetts avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.3:1 | ▼ 16% | 12.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 422 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.3:1
Leaner classes than 87% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
422
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
10.3:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 24% in Massachusetts - lower ratio than 76% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
12.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$27,743
per pupil, district-wide
- above Massachusetts avg of $22,458
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 422 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 54.5%
Hispanic or Latino 21.8%
Asian 12.8%
Two or More 8.3%
African American 2.6%
Largest group: White at 54.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.2, James Russell Lowell is more mixed than the Massachusetts school average of 47.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Watertown, which includes James Russell Lowell.
$27,743
Per student
+24%
vs Massachusetts
Avg $22,458
+67%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 77.0%
State 18.0%
Federal 5.0%
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 James Russell Lowell Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watertown High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hosmer | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Watertown Middle | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cunniff | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James Russell Lowell's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 761
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 758
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 583
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 320
- Students per teacher
- 9.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar elementary schools in Watertown
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~422 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James Russell Lowell's federal record.
- Compare James Russell Lowell against another school. Compare schools
- Watertown'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 James Russell Lowell
How many students attend James Russell Lowell?
James Russell Lowell has 422 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Watertown, MA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James Russell Lowell?
The student-teacher ratio at James Russell Lowell is 10.3:1, which is 16% lower than the Massachusetts average of 12.3:1 and 34% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James Russell Lowell?
The largest demographic group at James Russell Lowell is White at 54.5% of enrollment, in Watertown, MA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James Russell Lowell?
James Russell Lowell has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 James Russell Lowell rank among public schools in Watertown?
By Resource Investment Index, James Russell Lowell ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Watertown, 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 Watertown on the city page.
Is James Russell Lowell a good school?
James Russell Lowell earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% 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 Watertown?
Besides James Russell Lowell, Watertown also operates Watertown High (761 students), Hosmer (758 students), and Watertown Middle (583 students). See the Watertown 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.