Enrollment
359
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Ruston, LA
Ruston Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Ruston Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 220099000751
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 84
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ruston Elementary School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Louisiana median.
- #2 of 5
- elementary schools in Ruston · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.9:1
- students per teacher
- 63.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Ruston Elementary School has class sizes near the Louisiana median. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ruston Elementary School ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Ruston, LA.
School address
District: Lincoln Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220099000751 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.9:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.0%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ruston Elementary School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ruston Elementary School
Ruston Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Ruston, Louisiana, enrolling 359 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Louisiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 63.0% lands close to the Louisiana typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 359 students, its enrollment sits close to the Louisiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Against 357 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #142.
Its student body is led by African American (51%) and White (30%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 359 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Ruston's elementary schools, it stands alongside Glen View Elementary School (438 students): Ruston Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.9:1 vs 15.6:1).
Lincoln Parish also operates Ruston High School (1,212 students) and Ruston Junior High School (585 students) alongside Ruston Elementary 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 Ruston Elementary School compares
Ruston Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Louisiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Louisiana | Louisiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.9:1 | ▲ 7% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.0% | ▲ 1% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 359 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.9:1
Leaner classes than 25% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
359
Bigger than 41% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% 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
17.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 68% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
6.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$15,391
per pupil, district-wide
- below Louisiana avg of $16,376
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 359 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 29 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.6 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
African American 51.3%
White 29.8%
Hispanic or Latino 14.2%
Two or More 2.5%
Asian 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 51.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.7, Ruston Elementary School is more mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lincoln Parish, which includes Ruston Elementary School.
$15,391
Per student
-6%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.6%
State 33.0%
Federal 14.3%
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 Ruston Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruston High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ruston Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Choudrant Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Simsboro High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Glen View Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ruston Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,212
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 585
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 536
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 532
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar elementary schools in Ruston
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Glen View Elementary School
Standard public school
438 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
A. E. Phillips Laboratory School
Standard public school
412 students 24.2:1 students per teacher
Cypress Springs Elementary School
Standard public school
369 students 17.6:1 students per teacher
Hillcrest Elementary School
Standard public school
326 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~359 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ruston Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Ruston Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Lincoln 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 Ruston Elementary School
How many students attend Ruston Elementary School?
Ruston Elementary School has 359 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Ruston, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ruston Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ruston Elementary School is 17.9:1, which is 7% higher than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 14% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ruston Elementary School?
63.0% of students at Ruston Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ruston Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Ruston Elementary School is African American at 51.3% of enrollment, in Ruston, LA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ruston Elementary School?
Ruston Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Ruston Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Ruston?
By Resource Investment Index, Ruston Elementary School ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Ruston, LA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Ruston on the city page.
Is Ruston Elementary School a good school?
Ruston Elementary School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Louisiana 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 Lincoln Parish?
Besides Ruston Elementary School, Lincoln Parish also operates Ruston High School (1,212 students), Ruston Junior High School (585 students), and Choudrant Elementary School (536 students). See the Lincoln 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.