Enrollment
501
Massachusetts · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lowell, MA
S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary
Federal NCES profile for S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 250702000088
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Massachusetts schools.
- #15 of 17
- schools in Lowell · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.5:1
- large classes for Massachusetts
- 501
- students enrolled
S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary has class sizes larger than 74% of Massachusetts schools. Computed live against every Massachusetts school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary ranks #15 of 17 schools in Lowell, MA.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 12.3:1 Massachusetts avg
+10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary compares with Massachusetts and U.S. medians
What stands out at S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary
S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Lowell, Massachusetts, enrolling 501 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Massachusetts schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 501 students, its enrollment sits close to the Massachusetts median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 1,831 Massachusetts schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (54%) and White (23%) (diversity index 63/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Lowell's public schools, it stands alongside Collegiate Charter School of Lowell (1,212 students): S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.5:1 vs 22:1).
Lowell also operates Lowell High (3,446 students) and Rogers Stem Academy (892 students) alongside S Christa Mcauliffe 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 S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary compares
S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Massachusetts and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Massachusetts | Massachusetts avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.5:1 | ▲ 10% | 12.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 501 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
501
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 74% in Massachusetts - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
42.3%
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
$19,674
per pupil, district-wide
- below Massachusetts avg of $22,458
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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
Hispanic or Latino 54.1%
White 23.0%
African American 10.6%
Asian 8.6%
Two or More 3.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 54.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.4, S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary is more mixed than the Massachusetts school average of 47.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lowell, which includes S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary.
$19,674
Per student
-12%
vs Massachusetts
Avg $22,458
+19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 5.6%
State 80.4%
Federal 14.0%
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 S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowell High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rogers Stem Academy | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| James S Daley Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dr an Wang School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| James Sullivan Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,446
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 892
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 669
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 663
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 625
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar other schools in Lowell
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Collegiate Charter School of Lowell
Standard public school
1,212 students 22:1 students per teacher
Lowell Community Charter Public School
Standard public school
816 students 13:1 students per teacher
Charles W Morey
Standard public school
497 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
Abraham Lincoln
Standard public school
492 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
John J Shaughnessy
Standard public school
485 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
Greenhalge
Standard public school
480 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Massachusetts, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~501 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary's federal record.
- Compare S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lowell'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 S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary
How many students attend S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary?
S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary has 501 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lowell, MA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary is 13.5:1, which is 10% higher than the Massachusetts average of 12.3:1 and 14% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary?
The largest demographic group at S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 54.1% of enrollment, in Lowell, MA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary?
S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower 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 S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary rank among schools in Lowell?
By Resource Investment Index, S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary ranks #15 of 17 schools in Lowell, MA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lowell on the city page.
Is S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary a good school?
S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Massachusetts 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 Lowell?
Besides S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary, Lowell also operates Lowell High (3,446 students), Rogers Stem Academy (892 students), and James S Daley Middle School (669 students). See the Lowell 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.