Enrollment
535
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Des Moines, WA
Parkside Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Parkside Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 530354000544
👥 S:T ratio 3
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 75
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Parkside Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Washington schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington schools.
- #4 of 4
- schools in Des Moines · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.3:1
- large classes for Washington
- 73.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Parkside Elementary has class sizes larger than 93% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Parkside Elementary ranks #4 of 4 schools in Des Moines, WA.
School address
District: Highline School District · Washington
NCES ID 530354000544 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.3:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+38% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.0%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+62% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Parkside Elementary compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Parkside Elementary
Parkside Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Des Moines, Washington, enrolling 535 students.
Class loads run heavy: 24.3:1 is larger than about 93% of Washington schools and 38% above the 17.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 73.0% of students qualify for free meals, 62% above the Washington average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 535 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Among 320 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Washington schools statewide, it ranks #246, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (26%) and Asian (22%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 80/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 535 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Des Moines's public schools, it stands alongside Midway Elementary (548 students): Parkside Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.3:1 vs 17.7:1).
Highline School District also operates Mount Rainier High School (1,846 students) and Highline High School (1,423 students) alongside Parkside 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 Parkside Elementary compares
Parkside 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 | 24.3:1 | ▲ 38% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.0% | ▲ 62% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 535 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.3:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
535
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
73.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 62% above the Washington average of 45.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
24.3:1
students per teacher
- 38% above state mean
Top 93% in Washington - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
9.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$19,077
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 535 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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
Hispanic or Latino 26.4%
Asian 21.5%
African American 21.2%
White 15.9%
Two or More 9.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 5.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 26.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 80.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 80.3, Parkside Elementary is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Highline School District, which includes Parkside Elementary.
$19,077
Per student
-2%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.7%
State 55.7%
Federal 14.6%
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 Parkside Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Rainier High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Highline High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Evergreen High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Glacier Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cascade Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Parkside Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,846
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,423
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,080
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 803
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 671
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
Similar other schools in Des Moines
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~535 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Parkside Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Parkside Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Highline 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 Parkside Elementary
How many students attend Parkside Elementary?
Parkside Elementary has 535 students enrolled. It is a public school in Des Moines, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Parkside Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Parkside Elementary is 24.3:1, which is 38% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 55% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Parkside Elementary?
73.0% of students at Parkside Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Parkside Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Parkside Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 26.4% of enrollment, in Des Moines, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 80.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Parkside Elementary?
Parkside Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Parkside Elementary rank among schools in Des Moines?
By Resource Investment Index, Parkside Elementary ranks #4 of 4 schools in Des Moines, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Des Moines on the city page.
Is Parkside Elementary a good school?
Parkside Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% 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 Highline School District?
Besides Parkside Elementary, Highline School District also operates Mount Rainier High School (1,846 students), Highline High School (1,423 students), and Evergreen High School (1,080 students). See the Highline 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.