Enrollment
456
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Auburn, WA
Meredith Hill Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Meredith Hill Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 530282002298
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 9
📋 Attendance 88
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Meredith Hill Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington schools.
- #5 of 17
- schools in Auburn · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.3:1
- students per teacher
- 53.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Meredith Hill Elementary School has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Meredith Hill Elementary School ranks #5 of 17 schools in Auburn, WA.
School address
District: Federal Way School District · Washington
NCES ID 530282002298 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.2%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Meredith Hill Elementary School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Meredith Hill Elementary School
Meredith Hill Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Auburn, Washington, enrolling 456 students.
At 16.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Washington median, within a few percentage points of the 17.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 53.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 456 students, its enrollment sits close to the Washington median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 503 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #345.
Its student body is led by Asian (25%) and White (23%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 81/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 456 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 15.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Auburn's public schools, it stands alongside Willow Crest Elementary (656 students): Meredith Hill Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.3:1 vs 20.5:1).
Federal Way School District also operates Thomas Jefferson High School (1,810 students) and Federal Way High School (1,665 students) alongside Meredith Hill Elementary School.
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 Meredith Hill Elementary School compares
Meredith Hill Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.3:1 | ▼ 7% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.2% | ▲ 18% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 456 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
456
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% above the Washington average of 45.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 49% in Washington - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
4.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$17,122
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 456 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 24.6%
White 22.8%
Hispanic or Latino 20.8%
African American 14.3%
Two or More 12.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 4.6%
Largest group: Asian at 24.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 80.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 80.5, Meredith Hill Elementary School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Federal Way School District, which includes Meredith Hill Elementary School.
$17,122
Per student
-12%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.9%
State 68.0%
Federal 15.0%
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 Meredith Hill Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Jefferson High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Federal Way High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Todd Beamer High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Decatur High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Evergreen Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Meredith Hill Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,810
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,665
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,412
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 1,352
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 810
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar other schools in Auburn
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Willow Crest Elementary
Standard public school
656 students 20.5:1 students per teacher
Bowman Creek Elementary
Standard public school
440 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Arthur Jacobsen Elementary
Standard public school
367 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Auburn Online
Standard public school
264 students 10.2:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~456 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Meredith Hill Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Meredith Hill Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Federal Way 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 Meredith Hill Elementary School
How many students attend Meredith Hill Elementary School?
Meredith Hill Elementary School has 456 students enrolled. It is a public school in Auburn, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Meredith Hill Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Meredith Hill Elementary School is 16.3:1, which is 7% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Meredith Hill Elementary School?
53.2% of students at Meredith Hill Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Meredith Hill Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Meredith Hill Elementary School is Asian at 24.6% of enrollment, in Auburn, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 80.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Meredith Hill Elementary School?
Meredith Hill Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Meredith Hill Elementary School rank among schools in Auburn?
By Resource Investment Index, Meredith Hill Elementary School ranks #5 of 17 schools in Auburn, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Auburn on the city page.
Is Meredith Hill Elementary School a good school?
Meredith Hill Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington 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 Federal Way School District?
Besides Meredith Hill Elementary School, Federal Way School District also operates Thomas Jefferson High School (1,810 students), Federal Way High School (1,665 students), and Todd Beamer High School (1,412 students). See the Federal Way 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.