Enrollment
278
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Seattle, WA
Orca K-8 School
Federal NCES profile for Orca K-8 School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 67/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 530771002231
👥 S:T ratio 59
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 65
📋 Attendance 76
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Orca K-8 School earns 67/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of Washington schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington schools.
- #7 of 32
- elementary schools in Seattle · Resource Index
- 67
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.3:1
- small classes for Washington
- 39.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Orca K-8 School has class sizes smaller than 94% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Orca K-8 School ranks #7 of 32 elementary schools in Seattle, WA.
School address
District: Seattle School District No. 1 · Washington
NCES ID 530771002231 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.3:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-41% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.2%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Orca K-8 School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Orca K-8 School
Orca K-8 School is a mid-sized elementary school in Seattle, Washington, enrolling 278 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.3:1, Orca K-8 School is leaner than roughly 94% of Washington schools and 41% under the state's 17.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 39.2% lands close to the Washington typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 278 puts it in the smaller third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 97% of the 2,394 Washington schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 257 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Washington schools statewide, it ranks #5, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (37%) and African American (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 75/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 174 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Seattle's elementary schools, it stands alongside Hazel Wolf K-8 (660 students): Orca K-8 School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.3:1 vs 16.1:1).
Seattle School District No. 1 also operates Lincoln High School (1,770 students) and Ballard High School (1,697 students) alongside Orca K-8 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 Orca K-8 School compares
Orca K-8 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 | 10.3:1 | ▼ 41% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.2% | ▼ 13% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 278 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.3:1
Leaner classes than 87% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
278
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
10.3:1
students per teacher
- 41% below state mean
Top 6% in Washington - lower ratio than 94% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
9.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$20,430
per pupil, district-wide
- above Washington avg of $19,487
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.6 FTE
Per 174 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 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 36.7%
African American 27.6%
Hispanic or Latino 15.6%
Two or More 9.5%
Asian 9.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 36.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 74.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 74.7, Orca K-8 School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Seattle School District No. 1, which includes Orca K-8 School.
$20,430
Per student
+5%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.0%
State 50.6%
Federal 9.3%
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 Orca K-8 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ballard High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Garfield High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Seattle High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Orca K-8 School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,770
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,697
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,542
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,507
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,479
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary schools in Seattle
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Hazel Wolf K-8
Standard public school
660 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Cascadia Elementary
Standard public school
531 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Mcdonald International School
Standard public school
443 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Bryn Mawr Elementary School
Standard public school
415 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Rainier Prep
Standard public school
359 students 15:1 students per teacher
Campbell Hill Elementary School
Standard public school
345 students 16.4:1 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 (~278 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Orca K-8 School's federal record.
- Compare Orca K-8 School against another school. Compare schools
- Seattle School District No. 1'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 Orca K-8 School
How many students attend Orca K-8 School?
Orca K-8 School has 278 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Seattle, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Orca K-8 School?
The student-teacher ratio at Orca K-8 School is 10.3:1, which is 41% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 34% 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 Orca K-8 School?
39.2% of students at Orca K-8 School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Orca K-8 School?
The largest demographic group at Orca K-8 School is White at 36.7% of enrollment, in Seattle, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 74.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Orca K-8 School?
Orca K-8 School has a Resource Investment Index of 67/100 (higher 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 Orca K-8 School rank among elementary schools in Seattle?
By Resource Investment Index, Orca K-8 School ranks #7 of 32 elementary schools in Seattle, 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 Seattle on the city page.
Is Orca K-8 School a good school?
Orca K-8 School earns 67/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of Washington schools. 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 Seattle School District No. 1?
Besides Orca K-8 School, Seattle School District No. 1 also operates Lincoln High School (1,770 students), Ballard High School (1,697 students), and Roosevelt High School (1,542 students). See the Seattle School District No. 1 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.