Enrollment
390
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kent, WA
Meridian Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Meridian Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 530396000625
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Meridian Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Washington schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington schools.
- #11 of 19
- schools in Kent · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.8:1
- small classes for Washington
- 40.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Meridian Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 90% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Meridian Elementary School ranks #11 of 19 schools in Kent, WA.
School address
District: Kent School District · Washington
NCES ID 530396000625 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.8:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.2%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Meridian Elementary School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Meridian Elementary School
Meridian Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Kent, Washington, enrolling 390 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.8:1, Meridian Elementary School is leaner than roughly 90% of Washington schools and 33% under the state's 17.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 40.2% lands close to the Washington typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 390 students, its enrollment sits close to the Washington median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 451 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #286.
Its student body is led by White (38%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 76/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 390 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Kent's public schools, it stands alongside Sunrise Elementary School (512 students): Meridian Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.8:1 vs 15.1:1).
Kent School District also operates Kentridge High School (2,186 students) and Kentwood High School (1,995 students) alongside Meridian 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 Meridian Elementary School compares
Meridian 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 | 11.8:1 | ▼ 33% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.2% | ▼ 11% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 390 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.8:1
Leaner classes than 77% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
390
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
40.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% below the Washington average of 45.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.8:1
students per teacher
- 33% below state mean
Top 10% in Washington - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
30.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$17,678
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 390 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.9 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 37.9%
Hispanic or Latino 20.8%
Asian 18.5%
Two or More 11.0%
African American 9.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.3%
Largest group: White at 37.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 75.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 75.7, Meridian Elementary School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kent School District, which includes Meridian Elementary School.
$17,678
Per student
-9%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.5%
State 61.2%
Federal 13.2%
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 Meridian Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentridge High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kentwood High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kent-Meridian High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kentlake High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northwood Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Meridian Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,186
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,995
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,639
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,561
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 911
- Students per teacher
- 31.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools in Kent
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Sunrise Elementary School
Standard public school
512 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Millennium Elementary School
Standard public school
482 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Scenic Hill Elementary School
Standard public school
481 students 10.7:1 students per teacher
Park Orchard Elementary School
Standard public school
473 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
Martin Sortun Elementary School
Standard public school
450 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Kent Elementary School
Standard public school
438 students 12.2:1 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 (~390 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Meridian Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Meridian Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Kent 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 Meridian Elementary School
How many students attend Meridian Elementary School?
Meridian Elementary School has 390 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kent, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Meridian Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Meridian Elementary School is 11.8:1, which is 33% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 25% lower 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 Meridian Elementary School?
40.2% of students at Meridian Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Meridian Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Meridian Elementary School is White at 37.9% of enrollment, in Kent, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 75.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Meridian Elementary School?
Meridian Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Meridian Elementary School rank among schools in Kent?
By Resource Investment Index, Meridian Elementary School ranks #11 of 19 schools in Kent, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Kent on the city page.
Is Meridian Elementary School a good school?
Meridian Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Washington schools. 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 Kent School District?
Besides Meridian Elementary School, Kent School District also operates Kentridge High School (2,186 students), Kentwood High School (1,995 students), and Kent-Meridian High School (1,639 students). See the Kent 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.