Enrollment
525
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Kalama, WA
Kalama Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Kalama Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 530381000584
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 85
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kalama Elem School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Kalama · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15:1
- students per teacher
- 33.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Kalama Elem School has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kalama Elem School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Kalama, WA.
School address
District: Kalama School District · Washington
NCES ID 530381000584 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.3%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kalama Elem School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kalama Elem School
Kalama Elem School is a mid-sized elementary school in Kalama, Washington, enrolling 525 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15:1 puts it in the smaller third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 33.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 525 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 498 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #153.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 28/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 525 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Kalama School District spends $11,745 per pupil, 40% below the Washington average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Kalama School District also operates Kalama High School (347 students) and Kalama Middle School (266 students) alongside Kalama Elem 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 Kalama Elem School compares
Kalama Elem School on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15:1 | ▼ 15% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.3% | ▼ 26% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 525 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15:1
Leaner classes than 47% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
525
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
15:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 34% in Washington - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
6.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$11,745
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 525 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 84.0%
Hispanic or Latino 10.3%
Two or More 3.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Asian 0.8%
African American 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 84.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.3, Kalama Elem School is less mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kalama School District, which includes Kalama Elem School.
$11,745
Per student
-40%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.4%
State 64.0%
Federal 5.6%
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 Kalama Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kalama High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kalama Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kalama Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 347
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 266
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
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 (~525 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kalama Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Kalama Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Kalama 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 Kalama Elem School
How many students attend Kalama Elem School?
Kalama Elem School has 525 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Kalama, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kalama Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Kalama Elem School is 15:1, which is 15% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 4% 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 Kalama Elem School?
33.3% of students at Kalama Elem School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kalama Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Kalama Elem School is White at 84.0% of enrollment, in Kalama, WA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kalama Elem School?
Kalama Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Kalama Elem School rank among public schools in Kalama?
By Resource Investment Index, Kalama Elem School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Kalama, 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 Kalama on the city page.
Is Kalama Elem School a good school?
Kalama Elem School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median. 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 Kalama School District?
Besides Kalama Elem School, Kalama School District also operates Kalama High School (347 students) and Kalama Middle School (266 students). See the Kalama 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.