Enrollment
398
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Mercer Island, WA
Northwood Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Northwood Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 66/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 530498003566
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 89
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwood Elementary School earns 66/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #1 of 6
- public schools in Mercer Island · Resource Index
- 66
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.3:1
- students per teacher
- 4.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Northwood Elementary School has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northwood Elementary School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Mercer Island, WA.
School address
District: Mercer Island School District · Washington
NCES ID 530498003566 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
4.2%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-91% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northwood Elementary School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northwood Elementary School
Northwood Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Mercer Island, Washington, enrolling 398 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 4.2% free-meal eligibility runs 91% below the Washington average.
With 398 students, its enrollment sits close to the Washington median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 2,394 Washington schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 176 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Washington schools statewide, it ranks #10, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (46%) and Asian (29%) (diversity index 67/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Mercer Island School District also operates Mercer Island High School (1,439 students) and Islander Middle School (960 students) alongside Northwood 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 Northwood Elementary School compares
Northwood Elementary 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 | 15.3:1 | ▼ 13% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 4.2% | ▼ 91% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 398 | top 48% | - | - |
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.
398
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
4.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 91% below the Washington average of 45.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 38% in Washington - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
4.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$17,431
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
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 46.3%
Asian 29.4%
Two or More 13.4%
Hispanic or Latino 10.1%
African American 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 46.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.1, Northwood Elementary School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mercer Island School District, which includes Northwood Elementary School.
$17,431
Per student
-11%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.6%
State 56.3%
Federal 6.2%
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 Northwood Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer Island High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Islander Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Mercer Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lakeridge Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Island Park Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northwood Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,439
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 960
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 431
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 401
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 364
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
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 (~398 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwood Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Northwood Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Mercer Island 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 Northwood Elementary School
How many students attend Northwood Elementary School?
Northwood Elementary School has 398 students enrolled. It is a public school in Mercer Island, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwood Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwood Elementary School is 15.3:1, which is 13% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 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 Northwood Elementary School?
4.2% of students at Northwood Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northwood Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Northwood Elementary School is White at 46.3% of enrollment, in Mercer Island, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwood Elementary School?
Northwood Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 66/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Northwood Elementary School rank among public schools in Mercer Island?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwood Elementary School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Mercer Island, 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 Mercer Island on the city page.
Is Northwood Elementary School a good school?
Northwood Elementary School earns 66/100 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 Mercer Island School District?
Besides Northwood Elementary School, Mercer Island School District also operates Mercer Island High School (1,439 students), Islander Middle School (960 students), and West Mercer Elementary (431 students). See the Mercer Island 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.