Enrollment
337
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Zachary, LA
Northwestern Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Northwestern Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 220003900405
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 93
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwestern Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Louisiana median.
- #4 of 4
- elementary schools in Zachary · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.3:1
- students per teacher
- 53.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Northwestern Elementary School has class sizes near the Louisiana median. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northwestern Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Zachary, LA.
School address
District: Zachary Community School District · Louisiana
NCES ID 220003900405 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.0%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
-15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northwestern Elementary School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northwestern Elementary School
Northwestern Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Zachary, Louisiana, enrolling 337 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Louisiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 53.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 337 puts it in the smaller third of Louisiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Among 251 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Louisiana schools statewide, it ranks #208, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (62%) and White (27%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 674 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 2.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Zachary Community School District spends $12,545 per pupil, 23% below the Louisiana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Zachary's elementary schools, it stands alongside Copper Mill Elementary/Middle School (837 students): Northwestern Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.3:1 vs 18.6:1).
Zachary Community School District also operates Zachary High School (1,726 students) and Northwestern Middle School (841 students) alongside Northwestern 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 Northwestern Elementary School compares
Northwestern Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Louisiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Louisiana | Louisiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.3:1 | ▼ 9% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.0% | ▼ 15% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 337 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
337
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% below the Louisiana average of 62.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 40% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
2.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$12,545
per pupil, district-wide
- below Louisiana avg of $16,376
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.5 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
African American 61.7%
White 27.3%
Two or More 6.8%
Hispanic or Latino 3.0%
Asian 1.2%
Largest group: African American at 61.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.9, Northwestern Elementary School is more mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Zachary Community School District, which includes Northwestern Elementary School.
$12,545
Per student
-23%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.8%
State 44.5%
Federal 9.7%
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 Northwestern Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zachary High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northwestern Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Copper Mill Elementary/Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Zachary Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rollins Place Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northwestern Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,726
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 841
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 837
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 778
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 774
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar elementary schools in Zachary
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Louisiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~337 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwestern Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Northwestern Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Zachary Community 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 Northwestern Elementary School
How many students attend Northwestern Elementary School?
Northwestern Elementary School has 337 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Zachary, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwestern Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwestern Elementary School is 15.3:1, which is 9% lower than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 3% 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 Northwestern Elementary School?
53.0% of students at Northwestern Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northwestern Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Northwestern Elementary School is African American at 61.7% of enrollment, in Zachary, LA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwestern Elementary School?
Northwestern Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Northwestern Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Zachary?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwestern Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Zachary, LA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Zachary on the city page.
Is Northwestern Elementary School a good school?
Northwestern Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Louisiana 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 Zachary Community School District?
Besides Northwestern Elementary School, Zachary Community School District also operates Zachary High School (1,726 students), Northwestern Middle School (841 students), and Copper Mill Elementary/Middle School (837 students). See the Zachary Community 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.