Enrollment
26
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Bellingham, WA
Meridian Special Programs
Federal NCES profile for Meridian Special Programs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 530501002697
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Meridian Special Programs earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Bellingham · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 26
- students enrolled
By Resource Investment Index, Meridian Special Programs ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Bellingham, WA.
School address
District: Meridian School District · Washington
NCES ID 530501002697 Verify on NCES CCD record →
What stands out at Meridian Special Programs
Meridian Special Programs is a small combined-grade school in Bellingham, Washington, enrolling 26 students.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 93% of Washington schools, with 26 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 43/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Meridian School District spends $15,650 per pupil, 20% below the Washington average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Bellingham's public schools, it stands alongside Happy Valley Elementary School (455 students): Meridian Special Programs is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Meridian School District also operates Irene Reither Elementary School (765 students) and Meridian High School (534 students) alongside Meridian Special Programs.
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 Special Programs compares
Meridian Special Programs on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment | 26 | top 93% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26
Bigger than 3% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Engagement
26.9%
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
$15,650
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Somewhat 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
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 73.1%
Hispanic or Latino 19.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.8%
Two or More 3.8%
Largest group: White at 73.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.6, Meridian Special Programs is less mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Meridian School District, which includes Meridian Special Programs.
$15,650
Per student
-20%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.5%
State 64.1%
Federal 13.5%
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 Special Programs Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irene Reither Elementary School | Larger | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| Meridian High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| Meridian Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| Meridian Parent Partnership Program | Larger | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| Meridian Impact Re-Engagement | Similar size | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Meridian Special Programs's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 765
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 534
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 350
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 208
- Students per teacher
- 29.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 21
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar other schools in Bellingham
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Happy Valley Elementary School
Standard public school
455 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Parkview Elementary School
Standard public school
422 students 17.6:1 students per teacher
Geneva Elementary School
Standard public school
412 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Northern Heights Elementary Schl
Standard public school
396 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Silver Beach Elementary School
Standard public school
357 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
Cordata Elementary School
Standard public school
357 students 11.2:1 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.
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Meridian Special Programs's federal record.
- Compare Meridian Special Programs against another school. Compare schools
- Meridian 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 Special Programs
How many students attend Meridian Special Programs?
Meridian Special Programs has 26 students enrolled. It is a special-education school in Bellingham, WA.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Meridian Special Programs?
The largest demographic group at Meridian Special Programs is White at 73.1% of enrollment, in Bellingham, WA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Meridian Special Programs?
Meridian Special Programs has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Meridian Special Programs rank among public schools in Bellingham?
By Resource Investment Index, Meridian Special Programs ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Bellingham, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Bellingham on the city page.
Is Meridian Special Programs a good school?
Meridian Special Programs earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. 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 Meridian School District?
Besides Meridian Special Programs, Meridian School District also operates Irene Reither Elementary School (765 students), Meridian High School (534 students), and Meridian Middle School (350 students). See the Meridian 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.