Enrollment
594
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Richland, WA
Orchard Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Orchard Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 530732003540
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Orchard Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #5 of 8
- schools in Richland · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.1:1
- students per teacher
- 21.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Orchard Elementary has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Orchard Elementary ranks #5 of 8 schools in Richland, WA.
School address
District: Richland School District · Washington
NCES ID 530732003540 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.6%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-52% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Orchard Elementary compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Orchard Elementary
Orchard Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Richland, Washington, enrolling 594 students.
At 16.1:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 21.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 594 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 444 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #255.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 594 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
12.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Richland School District spends $14,794 per pupil, 24% below the Washington average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Richland's public schools, it stands alongside Three Rivers Home Link (756 students): Orchard Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.1:1 vs 37.8:1).
Richland School District also operates Richland High School (2,218 students) and Hanford High School (1,959 students) alongside Orchard 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 Orchard Elementary compares
Orchard 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 | 16.1:1 | ▼ 9% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.6% | ▼ 52% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 594 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.1:1
Leaner classes than 37% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
594
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 52% 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
16.1:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 48% in Washington - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
12.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$14,794
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 594 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 66.5%
Hispanic or Latino 14.8%
Asian 10.4%
Two or More 7.2%
African American 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 66.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.0, Orchard Elementary is about as mixed as the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Richland School District, which includes Orchard Elementary.
$14,794
Per student
-24%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.0%
State 65.7%
Federal 10.3%
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 Orchard Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richland High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hanford High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Leona Libby Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Carmichael Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Three Rivers Home Link | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Orchard Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,218
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,959
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 805
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 791
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 756
- Students per teacher
- 37.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar other schools in Richland
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Three Rivers Home Link
Alternative education program
756 students 37.8:1 students per teacher
White Bluffs Elementary School
Standard public school
653 students 19.8:1 students per teacher
Amon Creek Elementary
Standard public school
594 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Jason Lee Elementary School
Standard public school
518 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Lewis & Clark Elementary School
Standard public school
471 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Jefferson Elementary
Standard public school
418 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
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 (~594 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Orchard Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Orchard Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Richland 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 Orchard Elementary
How many students attend Orchard Elementary?
Orchard Elementary has 594 students enrolled. It is a public school in Richland, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Orchard Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Orchard Elementary is 16.1:1, which is 9% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 3% 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 Orchard Elementary?
21.6% of students at Orchard Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Orchard Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Orchard Elementary is White at 66.5% of enrollment, in Richland, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Orchard Elementary?
Orchard Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Orchard Elementary rank among schools in Richland?
By Resource Investment Index, Orchard Elementary ranks #5 of 8 schools in Richland, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Richland on the city page.
Is Orchard Elementary a good school?
Orchard Elementary earns 44/100 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 Richland School District?
Besides Orchard Elementary, Richland School District also operates Richland High School (2,218 students), Hanford High School (1,959 students), and Leona Libby Middle School (805 students). See the Richland 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.