Enrollment
556
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Granite Falls, WA
Mountain Way Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Mountain Way Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 530321002303
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mountain Way Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #5 of 6
- public schools in Granite Falls · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.4:1
- students per teacher
- 39.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Mountain Way Elementary has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mountain Way Elementary ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Granite Falls, WA.
School address
District: Granite Falls School District · Washington
NCES ID 530321002303 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.6%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mountain Way Elementary compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mountain Way Elementary
Mountain Way Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Granite Falls, Washington, enrolling 556 students.
At 17.4:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 39.6% lands close to the Washington typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 556 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 2,394 Washington schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 488 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Washington schools statewide, it ranks #455, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 371 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Granite Falls School District also operates Granite Falls High School (614 students) and Monte Cristo Elementary (502 students) alongside Mountain Way Elementary.
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 Mountain Way Elementary compares
Mountain Way Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.4:1 | ▼ 1% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.6% | ▼ 12% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 556 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
556
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% below the Washington average of 45.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 59% in Washington - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
27.0%
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
$16,460
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 371 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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 68.9%
Hispanic or Latino 18.0%
Two or More 7.7%
Asian 2.7%
African American 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 68.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.6, Mountain Way Elementary is less mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Granite Falls School District, which includes Mountain Way Elementary.
$16,460
Per student
-16%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.0%
State 67.3%
Federal 7.7%
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 Mountain Way Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Granite Falls High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Monte Cristo Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Granite Falls Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Crossroads High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Granite Falls Open Doors | Smaller | Higher economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Mountain Way Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 614
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 502
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 448
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 188
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 47
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 30/100
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 (~556 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mountain Way Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Mountain Way Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Granite Falls 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 Mountain Way Elementary
How many students attend Mountain Way Elementary?
Mountain Way Elementary has 556 students enrolled. It is a public school in Granite Falls, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mountain Way Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Mountain Way Elementary is 17.4:1, which is 1% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 11% 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 Mountain Way Elementary?
39.6% of students at Mountain Way Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mountain Way Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Mountain Way Elementary is White at 68.9% of enrollment, in Granite Falls, WA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mountain Way Elementary?
Mountain Way Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower 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 Mountain Way Elementary rank among public schools in Granite Falls?
By Resource Investment Index, Mountain Way Elementary ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Granite Falls, 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 Granite Falls on the city page.
Is Mountain Way Elementary a good school?
Mountain Way Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median. 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 Granite Falls School District?
Besides Mountain Way Elementary, Granite Falls School District also operates Granite Falls High School (614 students), Monte Cristo Elementary (502 students), and Granite Falls Middle School (448 students). See the Granite Falls 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.