Enrollment
598
Massachusetts · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 250483002650
Mary Fonseca Elementary School — Fall River, MA
Federal NCES profile for Mary Fonseca Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 26/100.
👥 Class size 33
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 0
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: Fall River · Massachusetts
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)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.7:1
vs 12.1:1 Massachusetts avg
+38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mary Fonseca Elementary School compares with Massachusetts 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 Fonseca Elementary School reports 598 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 38.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 16.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 38% above the Massachusetts state mean of 12.1:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 5% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 299 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 47.7% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Fall River spends $40,714 per pupil district-wide, above the Massachusetts average of $28,509 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 10.7% from local sources (property taxes), 76.1% from the state, and 13.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (F), calculated from 4 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 Fonseca Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Massachusetts state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Massachusetts | Massachusetts avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.7:1 | ▲ 38% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 598 | top 74% | — | — |
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.
Staffing depth
16.7:1
students per teacher
— 38% above state mean
Top 96% in Massachusetts — lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
47.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$40,714
per pupil, district-wide
— above Massachusetts avg of $28,509
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 299 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
21
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 598 Top 74% in Massachusetts — larger than 26% of 1,831 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 38.0
Students per teacher 16.7:1 +38% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 250483002650
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 44.4%
White 30.7%
African American 17.3%
Two or More 5.9%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 44.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 299:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 47.7%
In-school suspensions 21
Out-of-school suspensions 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fall River, which includes Mary Fonseca Elementary School.
$40,714
Per student
+43%
vs Massachusetts
Avg $28,509
+109%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 10.7%
State 76.1%
Federal 13.1%
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
- 2,642
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Enrollment
- 817
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Enrollment
- 751
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Enrollment
- 733
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Enrollment
- 712
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
Similar other schools in Fall River
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Atlantis Charter School
Standard public school
1,246 students 12.2:1 students per teacher
Henry Lord Community School
Standard public school
817 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
William S Greene
Standard public school
733 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
North End Elementary
Standard public school
655 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Argosy Collegiate Charter School
Standard public school
587 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Spencer Borden
Standard public school
575 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
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 Fonseca Elementary School
How many students attend Mary Fonseca Elementary School?
Mary Fonseca Elementary School has 598 students enrolled. It is a other school in Fall River, MA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mary Fonseca Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mary Fonseca Elementary School is 16.7:1, which is 38% higher than the Massachusetts average of 12.1:1 and 5% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mary Fonseca Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Mary Fonseca Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 44.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in Fall River, MA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mary Fonseca Elementary School?
Mary Fonseca Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.