Enrollment
481
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Gig Harbor, WA
Pioneer Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Pioneer Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 530669003760
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 4
📋 Attendance 95
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pioneer Elementary School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #4 of 5
- elementary schools in Gig Harbor · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.2:1
- students per teacher
- 12.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Pioneer Elementary School has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pioneer Elementary School ranks #4 of 5 elementary schools in Gig Harbor, WA.
School address
District: Peninsula School District · Washington
NCES ID 530669003760 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.3%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pioneer Elementary School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pioneer Elementary School
Pioneer Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Gig Harbor, Washington, enrolling 481 students.
At 17.2:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 12.3% free-meal eligibility runs 73% below the Washington average.
Enrollment of 481 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 333 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #128.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Two or More (11%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 481 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 2.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Gig Harbor's elementary schools, it stands alongside Swift Water Elementary (519 students): Pioneer Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.2:1 vs 18.5:1).
Peninsula School District also operates Gig Harbor High (1,375 students) and Peninsula High School (1,345 students) alongside Pioneer 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 Pioneer Elementary School compares
Pioneer Elementary 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 | 17.2:1 | ▼ 2% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.3% | ▼ 73% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 481 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
481
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% below the Washington average of 45.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 58% in Washington - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
2.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$17,026
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 481 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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 75.3%
Two or More 11.2%
Hispanic or Latino 9.1%
Asian 3.7%
African American 0.6%
Largest group: White at 75.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.1, Pioneer Elementary School is less mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Peninsula School District, which includes Pioneer Elementary School.
$17,026
Per student
-13%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.8%
State 68.0%
Federal 8.2%
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 Pioneer Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gig Harbor High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Peninsula High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harbor Ridge Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Goodman Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Swift Water Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pioneer Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,375
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,345
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 627
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 519
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 519
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar elementary schools in Gig Harbor
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Swift Water Elementary
Standard public school
519 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Voyager Elementary
Standard public school
443 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Discovery Elementary School
Standard public school
380 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Minter Creek Elementary
Standard public school
272 students 15.1:1 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 (~481 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pioneer Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Pioneer Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Peninsula 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 Pioneer Elementary School
How many students attend Pioneer Elementary School?
Pioneer Elementary School has 481 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Gig Harbor, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pioneer Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pioneer Elementary School is 17.2:1, which is 2% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 10% 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 Pioneer Elementary School?
12.3% of students at Pioneer Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pioneer Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Pioneer Elementary School is White at 75.3% of enrollment, in Gig Harbor, WA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pioneer Elementary School?
Pioneer Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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 Pioneer Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Gig Harbor?
By Resource Investment Index, Pioneer Elementary School ranks #4 of 5 elementary schools in Gig Harbor, 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 Gig Harbor on the city page.
Is Pioneer Elementary School a good school?
Pioneer Elementary School earns 50/100 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 Peninsula School District?
Besides Pioneer Elementary School, Peninsula School District also operates Gig Harbor High (1,375 students), Peninsula High School (1,345 students), and Harbor Ridge Middle School (627 students). See the Peninsula 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.