Enrollment
495
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lacey, WA
Lakes Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Lakes Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 530585000865
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 1
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lakes Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #1 of 9
- elementary schools in Lacey · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16:1
- students per teacher
- 33.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Lakes Elementary School has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lakes Elementary School ranks #1 of 9 elementary schools in Lacey, WA.
School address
District: North Thurston Public Schools · Washington
NCES ID 530585000865 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.3%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lakes Elementary School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lakes Elementary School
Lakes Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Lacey, Washington, enrolling 495 students.
At 16:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Washington median, within a few percentage points of the 17.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 33.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 495 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 500 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #347.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 495 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.8% 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 Horizons Elementary (580 students): Lakes Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16:1 vs 20.7:1).
North Thurston Public Schools also operates River Ridge High School (1,547 students) and Timberline High School (1,401 students) alongside Lakes 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 Lakes Elementary School compares
Lakes Elementary 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 | 16:1 | ▼ 9% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.3% | ▼ 26% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 495 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
495
Bigger than 61% 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
16:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 46% in Washington - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.8%
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 495 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 6 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 48.5%
Hispanic or Latino 20.3%
Two or More 15.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 6.5%
Asian 4.3%
African American 3.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: White at 48.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.1, Lakes Elementary School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for North Thurston Public Schools, which includes Lakes Elementary School.
$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 Lakes Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| River Ridge High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Timberline High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Thurston High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Nisqually Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lakes Elementary School'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.
Horizons Elementary
Standard public school
580 students 20.7:1 students per teacher
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
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 (~495 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lakes Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Lakes Elementary School 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 Lakes Elementary School
How many students attend Lakes Elementary School?
Lakes Elementary School has 495 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lacey, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lakes Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lakes Elementary School is 16:1, which is 9% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 2% higher 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 Lakes Elementary School?
33.3% of students at Lakes Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lakes Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Lakes Elementary School is White at 48.5% of enrollment, in Lacey, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lakes Elementary School?
Lakes Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Lakes Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Lacey?
By Resource Investment Index, Lakes Elementary School ranks #1 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 Lakes Elementary School a good school?
Lakes Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median. 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 Lakes Elementary School, 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.