Enrollment
493
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Rainier, WA
Rainier Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Rainier Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 530711002537
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rainier Elementary School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Rainier · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17:1
- students per teacher
- 37.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Rainier Elementary School has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rainier Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Rainier, WA.
School address
District: Rainier School District · Washington
NCES ID 530711002537 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.4%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rainier Elementary School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rainier Elementary School
Rainier Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Rainier, Washington, enrolling 493 students.
At 17:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 37.4% lands close to the Washington typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 493 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.
Among 490 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Washington schools statewide, it ranks #47, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 36/100).
15.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Rainier School District spends $14,532 per pupil, 25% below the Washington average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Rainier School District also operates Rainier Senior High School (283 students) and Rainier Middle School (241 students) alongside Rainier 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 Rainier Elementary School compares
Rainier 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 | 17:1 | ▼ 3% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.4% | ▼ 17% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 493 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
493
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% below the Washington average of 45.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 56% in Washington - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,532
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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 79.1%
Hispanic or Latino 11.8%
Two or More 6.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.6%
African American 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 79.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.5, Rainier 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 Rainier School District, which includes Rainier Elementary School.
$14,532
Per student
-25%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.9%
State 69.6%
Federal 12.5%
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 Rainier Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainier Senior High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rainier Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rainier Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 283
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 241
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
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 (~493 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rainier Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Rainier Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Rainier 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 Rainier Elementary School
How many students attend Rainier Elementary School?
Rainier Elementary School has 493 students enrolled. It is a public school in Rainier, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rainier Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Rainier Elementary School is 17:1, which is 3% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 8% 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 Rainier Elementary School?
37.4% of students at Rainier Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rainier Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Rainier Elementary School is White at 79.1% of enrollment, in Rainier, WA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rainier Elementary School?
Rainier Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Rainier Elementary School rank among public schools in Rainier?
By Resource Investment Index, Rainier Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Rainier, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Rainier on the city page.
Is Rainier Elementary School a good school?
Rainier Elementary School earns 55/100 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 Rainier School District?
Besides Rainier Elementary School, Rainier School District also operates Rainier Senior High School (283 students) and Rainier Middle School (241 students). See the Rainier 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.