Enrollment
383
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Moses Lake, WA
Peninsula Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Peninsula Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 530522000794
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 23
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Peninsula Elementary earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #5 of 8
- elementary schools in Moses Lake · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16:1
- students per teacher
- 52.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Peninsula Elementary has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Peninsula Elementary ranks #5 of 8 elementary schools in Moses Lake, WA.
School address
District: Moses Lake School District · Washington
NCES ID 530522000794 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.6%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Peninsula Elementary compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Peninsula Elementary
Peninsula Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Moses Lake, Washington, enrolling 383 students.
At 16:1, 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 above the state's typical profile, with 52.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 383 students, its enrollment sits close to the Washington median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 478 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #193.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (53%) and White (41%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 383 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
16.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Moses Lake School District spends $15,641 per pupil, 20% below the Washington average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Moses Lake's elementary schools, it stands alongside Park Orchard Elementary School (454 students): Peninsula Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16:1 vs 16.8:1).
Moses Lake School District also operates Moses Lake High School (1,856 students) and Columbia Middle School (875 students) alongside Peninsula 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 Peninsula Elementary compares
Peninsula 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 | ▼ 9% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.6% | ▲ 17% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 383 | top 51% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
383
Bigger than 45% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% above the Washington average of 45.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 46% in Washington - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$15,641
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 383 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 52.5%
White 41.3%
Two or More 3.9%
African American 1.8%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 52.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.2, Peninsula 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 Moses Lake School District, which includes Peninsula Elementary.
$15,641
Per student
-20%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 12.8%
State 76.8%
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 Peninsula Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moses Lake High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Columbia Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Frontier Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Park Orchard Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Vicki I. Groff Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Peninsula Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,856
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 875
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 690
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 454
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 413
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar elementary schools in Moses Lake
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~383 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Peninsula Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Peninsula Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Moses Lake 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 Peninsula Elementary
How many students attend Peninsula Elementary?
Peninsula Elementary has 383 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Moses Lake, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Peninsula Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Peninsula Elementary is 16:1, which is 9% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 2% 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 Peninsula Elementary?
52.6% of students at Peninsula Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Peninsula Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Peninsula Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 52.5% of enrollment, in Moses Lake, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Peninsula Elementary?
Peninsula Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Peninsula Elementary rank among elementary schools in Moses Lake?
By Resource Investment Index, Peninsula Elementary ranks #5 of 8 elementary schools in Moses Lake, 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 Moses Lake on the city page.
Is Peninsula Elementary a good school?
Peninsula Elementary earns 47/100 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 Moses Lake School District?
Besides Peninsula Elementary, Moses Lake School District also operates Moses Lake High School (1,856 students), Columbia Middle School (875 students), and Frontier Middle School (690 students). See the Moses Lake 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.