Enrollment
580
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Sammamish, WA
Margaret Mead Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Margaret Mead Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 530423001785
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 82
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Margaret Mead Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #5 of 6
- elementary schools in Sammamish · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.1:1
- students per teacher
- 3.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Margaret Mead Elementary has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Margaret Mead Elementary ranks #5 of 6 elementary schools in Sammamish, WA.
School address
District: Lake Washington School District · Washington
NCES ID 530423001785 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.1:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
3.6%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-92% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Margaret Mead Elementary compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Margaret Mead Elementary
Margaret Mead Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Sammamish, Washington, enrolling 580 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 3.6% free-meal eligibility runs 92% below the Washington average.
Enrollment of 580 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 195 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #125.
Its student body is led by Asian (47%) and White (38%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 580 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.2% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Sammamish's elementary schools, it stands alongside Creekside Elementary (555 students): Margaret Mead Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.1:1 vs 13.9:1).
Lake Washington School District also operates Eastlake High School (2,481 students) and Redmond High School (2,304 students) alongside Margaret Mead 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 Margaret Mead Elementary compares
Margaret Mead 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 | 18.1:1 | ▲ 3% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 3.6% | ▼ 92% | 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
18.1:1
Leaner classes than 24% 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
3.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 92% below the Washington average of 45.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.1:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 66% in Washington - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
7.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$16,269
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
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
Asian 46.6%
White 37.8%
Two or More 8.1%
Hispanic or Latino 4.3%
African American 2.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Asian at 46.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.1, Margaret Mead Elementary is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lake Washington School District, which includes Margaret Mead Elementary.
$16,269
Per student
-17%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.5%
State 58.6%
Federal 5.9%
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 Margaret Mead Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastlake High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Redmond High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lake Washington High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Juanita High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Inglewood Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Margaret Mead Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,481
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,304
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 2,081
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,778
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 1,229
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar elementary schools in Sammamish
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Creekside Elementary
Standard public school
555 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Samantha Smith Elementary
Standard public school
545 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Elizabeth Blackwell Elementary
Standard public school
478 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Christa Mcauliffe Elementary
Standard public school
472 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Cedar Trails Elementary
Standard public school
374 students 18.7:1 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)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Margaret Mead Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Margaret Mead Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lake Washington 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 Margaret Mead Elementary
How many students attend Margaret Mead Elementary?
Margaret Mead Elementary has 580 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Sammamish, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Margaret Mead Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Margaret Mead Elementary is 18.1:1, which is 3% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Margaret Mead Elementary?
3.6% of students at Margaret Mead Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Margaret Mead Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Margaret Mead Elementary is Asian at 46.6% of enrollment, in Sammamish, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Margaret Mead Elementary?
Margaret Mead Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Margaret Mead Elementary rank among elementary schools in Sammamish?
By Resource Investment Index, Margaret Mead Elementary ranks #5 of 6 elementary schools in Sammamish, 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 Sammamish on the city page.
Is Margaret Mead Elementary a good school?
Margaret Mead Elementary earns 45/100 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 Lake Washington School District?
Besides Margaret Mead Elementary, Lake Washington School District also operates Eastlake High School (2,481 students), Redmond High School (2,304 students), and Lake Washington High School (2,081 students). See the Lake Washington 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.