Enrollment
500
Ohio · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Medina, OH
Ralph E. Waite Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Ralph E. Waite Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 390443805534
👥 S:T ratio 13
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 83
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ralph E. Waite Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Ohio schools.
- #4 of 9
- elementary schools in Medina · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.7:1
- large classes for Ohio
- 3.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Ralph E. Waite Elementary has class sizes larger than 84% of Ohio schools. Computed live against every Ohio school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ralph E. Waite Elementary ranks #4 of 9 elementary schools in Medina, OH.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.7:1
vs 18.2:1 Ohio avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
3.9%
vs 31.6% Ohio avg
-88% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ralph E. Waite Elementary compares with Ohio and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ralph E. Waite Elementary
Ralph E. Waite Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Medina, Ohio, enrolling 500 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 21.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Ohio schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 3.9% free-meal eligibility runs 88% below the Ohio average.
Enrollment of 500 puts it in the larger third of Ohio schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,574 scored Ohio schools.
Against 320 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #190.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1000 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Medina's elementary schools, it stands alongside Sidney Fenn Elementary School (604 students): Ralph E. Waite Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.7:1 vs 28.8:1).
Medina City Sd also operates Medina High School (1,767 students) and Claggett Middle School (724 students) alongside Ralph E. Waite 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 Ralph E. Waite Elementary compares
Ralph E. Waite Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Ohio and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Ohio | Ohio avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.7:1 | ▲ 19% | 18.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 3.9% | ▼ 88% | 31.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 500 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.7:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
500
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
3.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 88% below the Ohio average of 31.6%
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
21.7:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 84% in Ohio - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
7.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,864
per pupil, district-wide
- below Ohio avg of $14,655
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 87.8%
Two or More 6.0%
Hispanic or Latino 4.2%
African American 1.0%
Asian 1.0%
Largest group: White at 87.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.4, Ralph E. Waite Elementary is less mixed than the Ohio school average of 35.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Medina City Sd, which includes Ralph E. Waite Elementary.
$13,864
Per student
-5%
vs Ohio
Avg $14,655
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 67.8%
State 24.7%
Federal 7.4%
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 Ralph E. Waite Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medina High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Claggett Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| A. I. Root Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sidney Fenn Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ella Canavan Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ralph E. Waite Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,767
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 724
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 690
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 604
- Students per teacher
- 28.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 475
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar elementary schools in Medina
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Sidney Fenn Elementary School
Standard public school
604 students 28.8:1 students per teacher
Buckeye Intermediate School
Standard public school
581 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
Buckeye Primary School
Standard public school
581 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Ella Canavan Elementary School
Standard public school
475 students 20.7:1 students per teacher
H G Blake Elementary School
Standard public school
470 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Heritage Elementary School
Standard public school
347 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Ohio, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~500 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ralph E. Waite Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Ralph E. Waite Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Medina City Sd'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 Ralph E. Waite Elementary
How many students attend Ralph E. Waite Elementary?
Ralph E. Waite Elementary has 500 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Medina, OH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ralph E. Waite Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ralph E. Waite Elementary is 21.7:1, which is 19% higher than the Ohio average of 18.2:1 and 38% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ralph E. Waite Elementary?
3.9% of students at Ralph E. Waite Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Ohio average of 31.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ralph E. Waite Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ralph E. Waite Elementary is White at 87.8% of enrollment, in Medina, OH.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ralph E. Waite Elementary?
Ralph E. Waite Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Ralph E. Waite Elementary rank among elementary schools in Medina?
By Resource Investment Index, Ralph E. Waite Elementary ranks #4 of 9 elementary schools in Medina, OH. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Medina on the city page.
Is Ralph E. Waite Elementary a good school?
Ralph E. Waite Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Ohio 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 Medina City Sd?
Besides Ralph E. Waite Elementary, Medina City Sd also operates Medina High School (1,767 students), Claggett Middle School (724 students), and A. I. Root Middle School (690 students). See the Medina City Sd 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.