Enrollment
456
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Puyallup, WA
Ridgecrest Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Ridgecrest Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 530696001795
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 9
📋 Attendance 88
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ridgecrest Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #4 of 11
- elementary schools in Puyallup · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.9:1
- students per teacher
- 33.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Ridgecrest Elementary has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ridgecrest Elementary ranks #4 of 11 elementary schools in Puyallup, WA.
School address
District: Puyallup School District · Washington
NCES ID 530696001795 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.6%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ridgecrest Elementary compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ridgecrest Elementary
Ridgecrest Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Puyallup, Washington, enrolling 456 students.
At 16.9:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 33.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 456 students, its enrollment sits close to the Washington median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 498 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #146.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 456 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Puyallup School District spends $15,642 per pupil, 20% below the Washington average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Puyallup's elementary schools, it stands alongside Pope Elementary (710 students): Ridgecrest Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.9:1 vs 18.2:1).
Puyallup School District also operates Puyallup High School (1,815 students) and Gov John Rogers High School (1,788 students) alongside Ridgecrest 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 Ridgecrest Elementary compares
Ridgecrest Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.9:1 | ▼ 4% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.6% | ▼ 25% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 456 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
456
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% 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
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 55% in Washington - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
5.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$15,642
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 456 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.9 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 52.0%
Hispanic or Latino 20.5%
Two or More 12.1%
Asian 8.8%
African American 4.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 52.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.3, Ridgecrest Elementary is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Puyallup School District, which includes Ridgecrest Elementary.
$15,642
Per student
-20%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.4%
State 64.7%
Federal 9.9%
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 Ridgecrest Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puyallup High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gov John Rogers High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Emerald Ridge High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dessie F Evans Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ballou Jr High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ridgecrest Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,815
- Students per teacher
- 25.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,788
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,599
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 919
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 852
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar elementary schools in Puyallup
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Pope Elementary
Standard public school
710 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Shaw Road Elementary
Standard public school
615 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Woodland Elementary
Standard public school
606 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Firgrove Elementary
Standard public school
593 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Fruitland Elementary
Standard public school
566 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Frank Brouillet Elem
Standard public school
541 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~456 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ridgecrest Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Ridgecrest Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Puyallup 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 Ridgecrest Elementary
How many students attend Ridgecrest Elementary?
Ridgecrest Elementary has 456 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Puyallup, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ridgecrest Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ridgecrest Elementary is 16.9:1, which is 4% 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 Ridgecrest Elementary?
33.6% of students at Ridgecrest Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ridgecrest Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ridgecrest Elementary is White at 52.0% of enrollment, in Puyallup, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ridgecrest Elementary?
Ridgecrest Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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 Ridgecrest Elementary rank among elementary schools in Puyallup?
By Resource Investment Index, Ridgecrest Elementary ranks #4 of 11 elementary schools in Puyallup, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Puyallup on the city page.
Is Ridgecrest Elementary a good school?
Ridgecrest Elementary earns 50/100 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 Puyallup School District?
Besides Ridgecrest Elementary, Puyallup School District also operates Puyallup High School (1,815 students), Gov John Rogers High School (1,788 students), and Emerald Ridge High School (1,599 students). See the Puyallup 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.