Enrollment
430
Idaho · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 160207000359
Melba Elementary School — Melba 2c, ID
Federal NCES profile for Melba Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 30/100.
👥 Class size 29
🌟 Gifted program 30
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: Melba Joint District · Idaho
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)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.7:1
vs 17.3:1 Idaho avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.1%
vs 29.3% Idaho avg
-18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Melba Elementary School compares with Idaho 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
Melba Elementary School reports 430 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 23.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 2% above the Idaho state mean of 17.3:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 11% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 24.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 18% below the Idaho average and 53% below the national baseline.
On the finance side, the surrounding Melba Joint District spends $8,833 per pupil district-wide, below the Idaho average of $12,943 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 16.2% from local sources (property taxes), 72.2% from the state, and 11.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (F), calculated from 2 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 Melba Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Idaho state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Idaho | Idaho avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.7:1 | ▲ 2% | 17.3:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.1% | ▼ 18% | 29.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 430 | top 66% | — | — |
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
24.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 18% below the Idaho average of 29.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.7:1
students per teacher
— 2% above state mean
Top 53% in Idaho — lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$8,833
per pupil, district-wide
— below Idaho avg of $12,943
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
1
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 430 Top 66% in Idaho — larger than 34% of 778 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 23.0
Students per teacher 17.7:1 +2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 24.1% -18% vs state
NCES ID 160207000359
Student demographics
White 78.1%
Hispanic or Latino 19.8%
Two or More 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 78.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 1
Out-of-school suspensions 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Melba Joint District, which includes Melba Elementary School.
$8,833
Per student
-32%
vs Idaho
Avg $12,943
-55%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 16.2%
State 72.2%
Federal 11.6%
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
- 394
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
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 Melba Elementary School
How many students attend Melba Elementary School?
Melba Elementary School has 430 students enrolled. It is a other school in MELBA 2C, ID.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Melba Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Melba Elementary School is 17.7:1, which is 2% higher than the Idaho average of 17.3:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Melba Elementary School?
24.1% of students at Melba Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Idaho average of 29.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Melba Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Melba Elementary School is White at 78.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in MELBA 2C, ID.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Melba Elementary School?
Melba Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (F) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.