Enrollment
470
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Metairie, LA
Ralph J Bunche Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Ralph J Bunche Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 220084002447
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 77
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ralph J Bunche Elementary earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Louisiana schools.
- #11 of 14
- schools in Metairie · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 31.3:1
- large classes for Louisiana
- 77.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Ralph J Bunche Elementary has class sizes larger than 98% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ralph J Bunche Elementary ranks #11 of 14 schools in Metairie, LA.
School address
District: Jefferson Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220084002447 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
31.3:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
+86% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.0%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
+23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ralph J Bunche Elementary compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ralph J Bunche Elementary
Ralph J Bunche Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Metairie, Louisiana, enrolling 470 students.
Class loads run heavy: 31.3:1 is larger than about 98% of Louisiana schools and 86% above the 16.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 77.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 470 students, its enrollment sits close to the Louisiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Against 355 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #107.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (45%) and African American (44%) (diversity index 60/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Metairie's public schools, it stands alongside Haynes Academy School for Advanced Studies (872 students): Ralph J Bunche Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (31.3:1 vs 28.1:1).
Jefferson Parish also operates Bonnabel Magnet Academy High School (2,376 students) and Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy (2,263 students) alongside Ralph J Bunche 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 J Bunche Elementary compares
Ralph J Bunche Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Louisiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Louisiana | Louisiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 31.3:1 | ▲ 86% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.0% | ▲ 23% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 470 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
31.3:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
470
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% above the Louisiana average of 62.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
31.3:1
students per teacher
- 86% above state mean
Top 98% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
9.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$16,675
per pupil, district-wide
- above Louisiana avg of $16,376
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.7 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
Hispanic or Latino 45.1%
African American 43.8%
White 8.3%
Two or More 1.5%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 45.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.8, Ralph J Bunche Elementary is more mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jefferson Parish, which includes Ralph J Bunche Elementary.
$16,675
Per student
+2%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
+0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.4%
State 31.1%
Federal 14.5%
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 Ralph J Bunche Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonnabel Magnet Academy High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John Ehret High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Grace King High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Jefferson High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ralph J Bunche Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,376
- Students per teacher
- 43.2:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 2,263
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 1,850
- Students per teacher
- 30.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,463
- Students per teacher
- 25.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,438
- Students per teacher
- 25.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar other schools in Metairie
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Haynes Academy School for Advanced Studies
Standard public school
872 students 28.1:1 students per teacher
Bissonet Plaza School
Standard public school
624 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Phoebe Hearst School
Standard public school
602 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Rudolph Matas School
Standard public school
600 students 20:1 students per teacher
J.C. Ellis School
Standard public school
587 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
Alice Birney Elementary School
Standard public school
579 students 17:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Louisiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~470 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ralph J Bunche Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Ralph J Bunche Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Jefferson Parish'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 J Bunche Elementary
How many students attend Ralph J Bunche Elementary?
Ralph J Bunche Elementary has 470 students enrolled. It is a public school in Metairie, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ralph J Bunche Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ralph J Bunche Elementary is 31.3:1, which is 86% higher than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 99% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ralph J Bunche Elementary?
77.0% of students at Ralph J Bunche Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ralph J Bunche Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ralph J Bunche Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 45.1% of enrollment, in Metairie, LA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ralph J Bunche Elementary?
Ralph J Bunche Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Ralph J Bunche Elementary rank among schools in Metairie?
By Resource Investment Index, Ralph J Bunche Elementary ranks #11 of 14 schools in Metairie, LA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Metairie on the city page.
Is Ralph J Bunche Elementary a good school?
Ralph J Bunche Elementary earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Louisiana 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 Jefferson Parish?
Besides Ralph J Bunche Elementary, Jefferson Parish also operates Bonnabel Magnet Academy High School (2,376 students), Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy (2,263 students), and John Ehret High School (1,850 students). See the Jefferson Parish 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.