Enrollment
568
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Yelm, WA
Ridgeline Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Ridgeline Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 531014003068
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ridgeline Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #3 of 9
- public schools in Yelm · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.2:1
- students per teacher
- 36.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Ridgeline Middle School has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ridgeline Middle School ranks #3 of 9 public schools in Yelm, WA.
School address
District: Yelm School District · Washington
NCES ID 531014003068 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.6%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ridgeline Middle School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ridgeline Middle School
Ridgeline Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Yelm, Washington, enrolling 568 students.
At 17.2:1, 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 36.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 568 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 478 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #189.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 284 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Yelm's middle schools, it stands alongside Yelm Middle School (652 students): Ridgeline Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.2:1 vs 18.1:1).
Yelm School District also operates Yelm High School 12 (1,693 students) and Southworth Elementary (671 students) alongside Ridgeline Middle 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 Ridgeline Middle School compares
Ridgeline Middle 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 | 17.2:1 | ▼ 2% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.6% | ▼ 19% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 568 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
568
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 58% in Washington - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
23.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$16,437
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 284 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
35
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.2 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 63.1%
Hispanic or Latino 18.5%
Two or More 14.1%
African American 1.2%
Asian 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 63.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.7, Ridgeline Middle School is about as mixed as the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Yelm School District, which includes Ridgeline Middle School.
$16,437
Per student
-16%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.8%
State 67.7%
Federal 13.6%
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 Ridgeline Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yelm High School 12 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southworth Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Yelm Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fort Stevens Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Yelm Prairie Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ridgeline Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,693
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 671
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 652
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 462
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 427
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar middle schools in Yelm
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~568 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ridgeline Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Ridgeline Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Yelm 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 Ridgeline Middle School
How many students attend Ridgeline Middle School?
Ridgeline Middle School has 568 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Yelm, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ridgeline Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ridgeline Middle School is 17.2:1, which is 2% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 10% 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 Ridgeline Middle School?
36.6% of students at Ridgeline Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ridgeline Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Ridgeline Middle School is White at 63.1% of enrollment, in Yelm, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ridgeline Middle School?
Ridgeline Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Ridgeline Middle School rank among public schools in Yelm?
By Resource Investment Index, Ridgeline Middle School ranks #3 of 9 public schools in Yelm, 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 Yelm on the city page.
Is Ridgeline Middle School a good school?
Ridgeline Middle School earns 46/100 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 Yelm School District?
Besides Ridgeline Middle School, Yelm School District also operates Yelm High School 12 (1,693 students), Southworth Elementary (671 students), and Yelm Middle School (652 students). See the Yelm 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.