Enrollment
325
New Hampshire · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Penacook, NH
Penacook Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Penacook Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 330476000283
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 68
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Penacook Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Hampshire median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Penacook · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12:1
- students per teacher
- 30.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Penacook Elementary School has class sizes near the New Hampshire median. Computed live against every New Hampshire school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Penacook Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Penacook, NH.
School address
District: Merrimack Valley School District · New Hampshire
NCES ID 330476000283 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12:1
vs 11.3:1 New Hampshire avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.3%
vs 21.5% New Hampshire avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Penacook Elementary School compares with New Hampshire and U.S. medians
What stands out at Penacook Elementary School
Penacook Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Penacook, New Hampshire, enrolling 325 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12:1 puts it in the larger third of New Hampshire schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 30.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 325 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Hampshire median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 500 scored New Hampshire schools.
Against 114 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #37.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 31/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 163 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Merrimack Valley School District spends $19,092 per pupil, 33% below the New Hampshire average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Merrimack Valley School District also operates Merrimack Valley High School (744 students) and Merrimack Valley Middle School (466 students) alongside Penacook 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 Penacook Elementary School compares
Penacook Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against New Hampshire and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New Hampshire | New Hampshire avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12:1 | ▲ 6% | 11.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.3% | ▲ 41% | 21.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 325 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
325
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% above the New Hampshire average of 21.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 69% in New Hampshire - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
36.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$19,092
per pupil, district-wide
- below New Hampshire avg of $28,358
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 163 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.6 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 82.5%
Asian 5.2%
African American 4.6%
Two or More 4.0%
Hispanic or Latino 3.7%
Largest group: White at 82.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.2, Penacook Elementary School is more mixed than the New Hampshire school average of 24.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Merrimack Valley School District, which includes Penacook Elementary School.
$19,092
Per student
-33%
vs New Hampshire
Avg $28,358
+15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.9%
State 31.6%
Federal 10.4%
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 Penacook Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merrimack Valley High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Merrimack Valley Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Loudon Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Boscawen Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Webster Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Penacook Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 744
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 466
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 243
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 240
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 88
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New Hampshire, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~325 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Penacook Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Penacook Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Merrimack Valley 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 Penacook Elementary School
How many students attend Penacook Elementary School?
Penacook Elementary School has 325 students enrolled. It is a public school in Penacook, NH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Penacook Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Penacook Elementary School is 12:1, which is 6% higher than the New Hampshire average of 11.3:1 and 24% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Penacook Elementary School?
30.3% of students at Penacook Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Hampshire average of 21.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Penacook Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Penacook Elementary School is White at 82.5% of enrollment, in Penacook, NH.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Penacook Elementary School?
Penacook Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Penacook Elementary School rank among public schools in Penacook?
By Resource Investment Index, Penacook Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Penacook, NH. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Penacook on the city page.
Is Penacook Elementary School a good school?
Penacook Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Hampshire 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 Merrimack Valley School District?
Besides Penacook Elementary School, Merrimack Valley School District also operates Merrimack Valley High School (744 students), Merrimack Valley Middle School (466 students), and Loudon Elementary School (243 students). See the Merrimack Valley 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.