Enrollment
54
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 530579003644
Mary E. Theler Early Learning Center — Belfair, WA
Federal NCES profile for Mary E. Theler Early Learning Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 49/100.
👥 Class size 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 68
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: North Mason School District · Washington
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
2.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 17.8:1 Washington avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.6%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mary E. Theler Early Learning Center compares with Washington and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Mary E. Theler Early Learning Center reports 54 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 2.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 27% below the Washington state mean of 17.8:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 18% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 34.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 23% below the Washington average and 33% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 13.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding North Mason School District spends $16,866 per pupil district-wide, below the Washington average of $23,175 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 13.5% from local sources (property taxes), 70.8% from the state, and 15.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (D), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Mary E. Theler Early Learning Center compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Washington state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13:1 | ▼ 27% | 17.8:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.6% | ▼ 23% | 45.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 54 | top 12% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
34.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 23% 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
13:1
students per teacher
— 27% below state mean
Top 13% in Washington — lower ratio than 87% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
13.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$16,866
per pupil, district-wide
— below Washington avg of $23,175
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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
Enrollment 54 Top 12% in Washington — larger than 88% of 2,465 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 2.0
Students per teacher 13:1 -27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 34.6% -23% vs state
NCES ID 530579003644
Student demographics
White 54.7%
Hispanic or Latino 32.1%
Two or More 11.3%
African American 1.9%
Largest group: White at 54.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 13.0%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for North Mason School District, which includes Mary E. Theler Early Learning Center.
$16,866
Per student
-27%
vs Washington
Avg $23,175
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 13.5%
State 70.8%
Federal 15.7%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 735
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Enrollment
- 537
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Enrollment
- 485
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Enrollment
- 392
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Enrollment
- 73
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
Similar other schools in Belfair
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Mary E. Theler Early Learning Center
How many students attend Mary E. Theler Early Learning Center?
Mary E. Theler Early Learning Center has 54 students enrolled. It is a other school in Belfair, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mary E. Theler Early Learning Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Mary E. Theler Early Learning Center is 13:1, which is 27% lower than the Washington average of 17.8:1 and 18% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mary E. Theler Early Learning Center?
34.6% of students at Mary E. Theler Early Learning Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mary E. Theler Early Learning Center?
The largest demographic group at Mary E. Theler Early Learning Center is White at 54.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Belfair, WA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mary E. Theler Early Learning Center?
Mary E. Theler Early Learning Center has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (D) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.