Enrollment
519
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Tacoma, WA
Naches Trail Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Naches Trail Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 530048001749
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 79
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Naches Trail Elementary earns 46/100 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
- elementary schools in Tacoma · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.7:1
- students per teacher
- 49.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Naches Trail Elementary has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Naches Trail Elementary ranks #5 of 17 elementary schools in Tacoma, WA.
School address
District: Bethel School District · Washington
NCES ID 530048001749 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.7:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.2%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Naches Trail Elementary compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Naches Trail Elementary
Naches Trail Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Tacoma, Washington, enrolling 519 students.
At 15.7:1, 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 49.2% lands close to the Washington typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 519 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 506 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #198.
Its student body is led by White (37%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 76/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 519 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Bethel School District spends $15,195 per pupil, 22% below the Washington average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Tacoma's elementary schools, it stands alongside Fife Elementary School (866 students): Naches Trail Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.7:1 vs 17:1).
Bethel School District also operates Graham Kapowsin High School (2,087 students) and Spanaway Lake High School (1,787 students) alongside Naches Trail 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 Naches Trail Elementary compares
Naches Trail 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 | 15.7:1 | ▼ 11% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.2% | ▲ 9% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 519 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.7:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
519
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% 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
15.7:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 42% in Washington - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
8.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$15,195
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 519 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 31 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.1 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 37.2%
Hispanic or Latino 22.5%
Two or More 20.0%
African American 9.6%
Asian 5.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 4.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Largest group: White at 37.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 75.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 75.7, Naches Trail Elementary is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bethel School District, which includes Naches Trail Elementary.
$15,195
Per student
-22%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.6%
State 66.9%
Federal 8.5%
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 Naches Trail Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graham Kapowsin High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spanaway Lake High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bethel High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Liberty Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spanaway Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Naches Trail Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,087
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,787
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,688
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 857
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 766
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar elementary schools in Tacoma
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Fife Elementary School
Standard public school
866 students 17:1 students per teacher
Clover Creek Elementary
Standard public school
617 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School
Standard public school
592 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Crescent Heights Elementary School
Standard public school
451 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
Harvard Elementary
Standard public school
445 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Browns Point Elementary School
Standard public school
445 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~519 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Naches Trail Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Naches Trail Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Bethel 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 Naches Trail Elementary
How many students attend Naches Trail Elementary?
Naches Trail Elementary has 519 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Tacoma, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Naches Trail Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Naches Trail Elementary is 15.7:1, which is 11% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 0% 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 Naches Trail Elementary?
49.2% of students at Naches Trail Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Naches Trail Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Naches Trail Elementary is White at 37.2% of enrollment, in Tacoma, 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 Naches Trail Elementary?
Naches Trail Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Naches Trail Elementary rank among elementary schools in Tacoma?
By Resource Investment Index, Naches Trail Elementary ranks #5 of 17 elementary schools in Tacoma, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Tacoma on the city page.
Is Naches Trail Elementary a good school?
Naches Trail Elementary earns 46/100 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 Bethel School District?
Besides Naches Trail Elementary, Bethel School District also operates Graham Kapowsin High School (2,087 students), Spanaway Lake High School (1,787 students), and Bethel High School (1,688 students). See the Bethel 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.