Enrollment
249
Vermont · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Pownal, VT
Pownal Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Pownal Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 500043400246
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pownal Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Vermont schools.
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.8:1
- large classes for Vermont
- 51.7%
- free-lunch eligible
- 249
- students enrolled
Pownal Elementary School has class sizes larger than 76% of Vermont schools. Computed live against every Vermont school reporting to NCES.
School address
NCES ID 500043400246 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 11.9:1 Vermont avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.7%
vs 27.6% Vermont avg
+87% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pownal Elementary School compares with Vermont and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pownal Elementary School
Pownal Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Pownal, Vermont, enrolling 249 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Vermont schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 51.7% of students qualify for free meals, 87% above the Vermont average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 249 students, its enrollment sits close to the Vermont median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 288 Vermont schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 29 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Vermont schools statewide, it ranks #25, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (94% of enrollment) (diversity index 12/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 249 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 spends $10,568 per pupil, 45% below the Vermont average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 6 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 also operates Molly Stark School (402 students) and Bennington Elementary School (278 students) alongside Pownal 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 Pownal Elementary School compares
Pownal Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Vermont and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Vermont | Vermont avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.8:1 | ▲ 16% | 11.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.7% | ▲ 87% | 27.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 249 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
249
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 87% above the Vermont average of 27.6%
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
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 76% in Vermont - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
50.2%
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
$10,568
per pupil, district-wide
- below Vermont avg of $19,105
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 249 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 6 expulsions.
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 94.0%
Two or More 3.2%
Hispanic or Latino 2.4%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 94.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 11.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 11.5, Pownal Elementary School is less mixed than the Vermont school average of 19.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87, which includes Pownal Elementary School.
$10,568
Per student
-45%
vs Vermont
Avg $19,105
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 1.5%
State 97.9%
Federal 0.6%
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 Pownal Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Molly Stark School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bennington Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shaftsbury Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Monument Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Woodford Hollow School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pownal Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 402
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 278
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 245
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 147
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 30
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Vermont, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~249 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pownal Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Pownal Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87'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 Pownal Elementary School
How many students attend Pownal Elementary School?
Pownal Elementary School has 249 students enrolled. It is a public school in Pownal, VT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pownal Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pownal Elementary School is 13.8:1, which is 16% higher than the Vermont average of 11.9:1 and 12% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pownal Elementary School?
51.7% of students at Pownal Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Vermont average of 27.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pownal Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Pownal Elementary School is White at 94.0% of enrollment, in Pownal, VT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pownal Elementary School?
Pownal Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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).
Is Pownal Elementary School a good school?
Pownal Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Vermont 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 Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87?
Besides Pownal Elementary School, Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 also operates Molly Stark School (402 students), Bennington Elementary School (278 students), and Shaftsbury Elementary School (245 students). See the Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 district page for the complete list.
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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.