Enrollment
336
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hastings, NE
Raymond a Watson Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Raymond a Watson Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 317158001057
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Raymond a Watson Elem School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska median.
- #2 of 8
- schools in Hastings · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.4:1
- students per teacher
- 29.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Raymond a Watson Elem School has class sizes near the Nebraska median. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Raymond a Watson Elem School ranks #2 of 8 schools in Hastings, NE.
School address
District: Hastings Public Schools · Nebraska
NCES ID 317158001057 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.2%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
-6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Raymond a Watson Elem School compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Raymond a Watson Elem School
Raymond a Watson Elem School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Hastings, Nebraska, enrolling 336 students.
At 12.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Nebraska median, within a few percentage points of the 13.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 29.2% lands close to the Nebraska typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 336 puts it in the larger third of Nebraska schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,003 scored Nebraska schools.
Against 208 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #95.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 336 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Hastings Public Schools spends $12,975 per pupil, 27% below the Nebraska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Hastings Public Schools also operates Hastings Senior High School (991 students) and Hastings Middle School (757 students) alongside Raymond a Watson Elem 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 Raymond a Watson Elem School compares
Raymond a Watson Elem School on the metrics families compare, against Nebraska and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Nebraska | Nebraska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.4:1 | ▼ 8% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.2% | ▼ 6% | 30.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 336 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
336
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% below the Nebraska average of 30.9%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 44% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
18.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,975
per pupil, district-wide
- below Nebraska avg of $17,680
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 336 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.4 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 66.4%
Hispanic or Latino 23.8%
Two or More 7.1%
Asian 1.5%
African American 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 66.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.7, Raymond a Watson Elem School is more mixed than the Nebraska school average of 34.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hastings Public Schools, which includes Raymond a Watson Elem School.
$12,975
Per student
-27%
vs Nebraska
Avg $17,680
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.4%
State 50.3%
Federal 13.3%
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 Raymond a Watson Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hastings Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hastings Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Morton Early Learning Center | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hawthorne Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Longfellow Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Raymond a Watson Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 991
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 757
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 501
- Students per teacher
- 38.5:1
- Resource Index
- 0/100
- Enrollment
- 343
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 305
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Nebraska, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~336 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Raymond a Watson Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Raymond a Watson Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Hastings Public Schools'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 Raymond a Watson Elem School
How many students attend Raymond a Watson Elem School?
Raymond a Watson Elem School has 336 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hastings, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Raymond a Watson Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Raymond a Watson Elem School is 12.4:1, which is 8% lower than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 21% lower 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 Raymond a Watson Elem School?
29.2% of students at Raymond a Watson Elem School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Raymond a Watson Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Raymond a Watson Elem School is White at 66.4% of enrollment, in Hastings, NE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Raymond a Watson Elem School?
Raymond a Watson Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Raymond a Watson Elem School rank among schools in Hastings?
By Resource Investment Index, Raymond a Watson Elem School ranks #2 of 8 schools in Hastings, NE. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Hastings on the city page.
Is Raymond a Watson Elem School a good school?
Raymond a Watson Elem School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska 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 Hastings Public Schools?
Besides Raymond a Watson Elem School, Hastings Public Schools also operates Hastings Senior High School (991 students), Hastings Middle School (757 students), and Morton Early Learning Center (501 students). See the Hastings Public Schools 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.