Enrollment
824
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Colbert, WA
Mountainside Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Mountainside Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 530492000747
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 18
📋 Attendance 91
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mountainside Middle School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Washington schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Colbert · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.6:1
- large classes for Washington
- 30.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Mountainside Middle School has class sizes larger than 76% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mountainside Middle School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Colbert, WA.
School address
District: Mead School District · Washington
NCES ID 530492000747 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.6%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mountainside Middle School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mountainside Middle School
Mountainside Middle School is a large middle school in Colbert, Washington, enrolling 824 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Washington, bigger than 90% of state schools at 824 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Among 303 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Washington schools statewide, it ranks #217, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (80%) and Two or More (8%) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 412 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Mead School District spends $14,830 per pupil, 24% below the Washington average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Mead School District also operates Mead Senior High School (1,827 students) and Mt Spokane High School (1,482 students) alongside Mountainside Middle 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 Mountainside Middle School compares
Mountainside Middle 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 | 19.6:1 | ▲ 11% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.6% | ▼ 32% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 824 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
824
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% 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
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 76% in Washington - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
3.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$14,830
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 412 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
39
in-school suspensions + 40 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 79.7%
Two or More 7.8%
Hispanic or Latino 6.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.4%
Asian 1.6%
African American 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: White at 79.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.4, Mountainside Middle School is less mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mead School District, which includes Mountainside Middle School.
$14,830
Per student
-24%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.8%
State 72.3%
Federal 8.8%
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 Mountainside Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mead Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mt Spokane High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northwood Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mead Learning Options | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highland Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mountainside Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,827
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,482
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 796
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 790
- Students per teacher
- 34.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 704
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar middle 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 (~824 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mountainside Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Mountainside Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Mead 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 Mountainside Middle School
How many students attend Mountainside Middle School?
Mountainside Middle School has 824 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Colbert, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mountainside Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mountainside Middle School is 19.6:1, which is 11% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mountainside Middle School?
30.6% of students at Mountainside Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mountainside Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Mountainside Middle School is White at 79.7% of enrollment, in Colbert, WA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mountainside Middle School?
Mountainside Middle 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 Mountainside Middle School rank among public schools in Colbert?
By Resource Investment Index, Mountainside Middle School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Colbert, 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 Colbert on the city page.
Is Mountainside Middle School a good school?
Mountainside Middle School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of 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 Mead School District?
Besides Mountainside Middle School, Mead School District also operates Mead Senior High School (1,827 students), Mt Spokane High School (1,482 students), and Northwood Middle School (796 students). See the Mead 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.