Enrollment
186
Nevada · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Sparks, NV
Kate Smith Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Kate Smith Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 320048000227
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 63
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kate Smith Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of Nevada schools.
- #4 of 7
- elementary schools in Sparks · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.3:1
- small classes for Nevada
- 94.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Kate Smith Elementary has class sizes smaller than 83% of Nevada schools. Computed live against every Nevada school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kate Smith Elementary ranks #4 of 7 elementary schools in Sparks, NV.
School address
District: Washoe County School District · Nevada
NCES ID 320048000227 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 20.5:1 Nevada avg
-30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
94.0%
vs 76.8% Nevada avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kate Smith Elementary compares with Nevada and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kate Smith Elementary
Kate Smith Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Sparks, Nevada, enrolling 186 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Nevada schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 94.0% lands close to the Nevada typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 186 puts it in the smaller third of Nevada schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 733 scored Nevada schools.
Against 40 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #19.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (72%) and White (14%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 186 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Washoe County School District spends $10,957 per pupil, 33% below the Nevada average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Sparks's elementary schools, it stands alongside Pinecrest Academy of Northern Nevada (1,033 students): Kate Smith Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.3:1 vs 25.8:1).
Washoe County School District also operates North Valleys High School (2,307 students) and Spanish Springs High School (2,131 students) alongside Kate Smith 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 Kate Smith Elementary compares
Kate Smith Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Nevada and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Nevada | Nevada avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.3:1 | ▼ 30% | 20.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 94.0% | ▲ 22% | 76.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 186 | top 79% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
186
Bigger than 18% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
94.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% above the Nevada average of 76.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 30% below state mean
Top 17% in Nevada - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
30.1%
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
$10,957
per pupil, district-wide
- below Nevada avg of $16,454
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 186 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.4 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
Hispanic or Latino 71.5%
White 14.0%
Two or More 5.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 4.3%
African American 2.2%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 71.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.3, Kate Smith Elementary is less mixed than the Nevada school average of 56.4.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Washoe County School District, which includes Kate Smith Elementary.
$10,957
Per student
-33%
vs Nevada
Avg $16,454
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.8%
State 68.2%
Federal 12.0%
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 Kate Smith Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Valleys High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spanish Springs High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Edward C. Reed High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Procter R. Hug High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Reno High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kate Smith Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,307
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,131
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 2,092
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,008
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,741
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar elementary schools in Sparks
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 Nevada, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~186 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kate Smith Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Kate Smith Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Washoe County 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 Kate Smith Elementary
How many students attend Kate Smith Elementary?
Kate Smith Elementary has 186 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Sparks, NV.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kate Smith Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Kate Smith Elementary is 14.3:1, which is 30% lower than the Nevada average of 20.5:1 and 9% 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 Kate Smith Elementary?
94.0% of students at Kate Smith Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nevada average of 76.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kate Smith Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Kate Smith Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 71.5% of enrollment, in Sparks, NV.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kate Smith Elementary?
Kate Smith Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Kate Smith Elementary rank among elementary schools in Sparks?
By Resource Investment Index, Kate Smith Elementary ranks #4 of 7 elementary schools in Sparks, NV. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Sparks on the city page.
Is Kate Smith Elementary a good school?
Kate Smith Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of Nevada 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 Washoe County School District?
Besides Kate Smith Elementary, Washoe County School District also operates North Valleys High School (2,307 students), Spanish Springs High School (2,131 students), and Edward C. Reed High School (2,092 students). See the Washoe County 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.