Enrollment
430
Idaho · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Melba 2c, ID
Melba Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Melba Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 160207000359
👥 S:T ratio 25
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Melba Elementary School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Idaho schools.
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.7:1
- large classes for Idaho
- 24.1%
- free-lunch eligible
- 430
- students enrolled
Melba Elementary School has class sizes larger than 70% of Idaho schools. Computed live against every Idaho school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Melba Joint District · Idaho
NCES ID 160207000359 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.7:1
vs 17.1:1 Idaho avg
+9% 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
What stands out at Melba Elementary School
Melba Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Melba 2c, Idaho, enrolling 430 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Idaho schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 24.1% lands close to the Idaho typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 430 puts it in the larger third of Idaho schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 775 scored Idaho schools.
Among 235 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Idaho schools statewide, it ranks #182, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 35/100).
The surrounding Melba Joint District spends $8,054 per pupil, 33% below the Idaho average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district, Melba Joint District, also runs Melba High School (394 students).
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 Melba Elementary School compares
Melba Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Idaho and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Idaho | Idaho avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.7:1 | ▲ 9% | 17.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.1% | ▼ 18% | 29.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 430 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.7:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
430
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
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
18.7:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 70% in Idaho - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$8,054
per pupil, district-wide
- below Idaho avg of $11,939
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that 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
- 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 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.
Student-body diversity index 35.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.0, Melba Elementary School is about as mixed as the Idaho school average of 36.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Melba Joint District, which includes Melba Elementary School.
$8,054
Per student
-33%
vs Idaho
Avg $11,939
-51%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Melba Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melba High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Melba Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 394
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Idaho, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~430 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Melba Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Melba Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Melba Joint 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 Melba Elementary School
How many students attend Melba Elementary School?
Melba Elementary School has 430 students enrolled. It is a public school in Melba 2c, ID.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Melba Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Melba Elementary School is 18.7:1, which is 9% higher than the Idaho average of 17.1:1 and 19% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
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% of enrollment, in Melba 2c, ID.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Melba Elementary School?
Melba Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
Is Melba Elementary School a good school?
Melba Elementary School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Idaho schools. 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 Melba Joint District?
Besides Melba Elementary School, Melba Joint District also operates Melba High School (394 students). See the Melba Joint 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.