Enrollment
470
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Mattawa, WA
Saddle Mountain Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Saddle Mountain Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 530936002514
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 57
📋 Attendance 63
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Saddle Mountain Elementary earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Mattawa · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.2:1
- students per teacher
- 85.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Saddle Mountain Elementary has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Saddle Mountain Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Mattawa, WA.
School address
District: Wahluke School District · Washington
NCES ID 530936002514 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
85.5%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+90% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Saddle Mountain Elementary compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Saddle Mountain Elementary
Saddle Mountain Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Mattawa, Washington, enrolling 470 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 85.5% of students qualify for free meals, 90% above the Washington average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 470 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.
Among 163 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Washington schools statewide, it ranks #8, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 8/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 214 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
14.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 22.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Mattawa's elementary schools, it stands alongside Morris Schott Elementary (317 students): Saddle Mountain Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.2:1 vs 19.8:1).
Wahluke School District also operates Wahluke High School (750 students) and Wahluke Junior High (554 students) alongside Saddle Mountain 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 Saddle Mountain Elementary compares
Saddle Mountain 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 | 15.2:1 | ▼ 14% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 85.5% | ▲ 90% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 470 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
470
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
85.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 90% above the Washington average of 45.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 36% in Washington - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
14.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$17,228
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.2 FTE
Per 214 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 96.0%
White 3.8%
Two or More 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 96.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 7.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 7.7, Saddle Mountain Elementary is less mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wahluke School District, which includes Saddle Mountain Elementary.
$17,228
Per student
-12%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 6.1%
State 71.4%
Federal 22.5%
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 Saddle Mountain Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wahluke High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wahluke Junior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Morris Schott Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mattawa Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mattawa Elementary Pre-School | Smaller | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Saddle Mountain Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 750
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 554
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 317
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 199
- Students per teacher
- 8:1
- Resource Index
- 69/100
- Enrollment
- 119
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar elementary schools in Mattawa
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~470 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Saddle Mountain Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Saddle Mountain Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Wahluke 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 Saddle Mountain Elementary
How many students attend Saddle Mountain Elementary?
Saddle Mountain Elementary has 470 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Mattawa, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Saddle Mountain Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Saddle Mountain Elementary is 15.2:1, which is 14% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 3% 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 Saddle Mountain Elementary?
85.5% of students at Saddle Mountain Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Saddle Mountain Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Saddle Mountain Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 96.0% of enrollment, in Mattawa, WA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Saddle Mountain Elementary?
Saddle Mountain Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (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 Saddle Mountain Elementary rank among elementary schools in Mattawa?
By Resource Investment Index, Saddle Mountain Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Mattawa, 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 Mattawa on the city page.
Is Saddle Mountain Elementary a good school?
Saddle Mountain Elementary earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington 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 Wahluke School District?
Besides Saddle Mountain Elementary, Wahluke School District also operates Wahluke High School (750 students), Wahluke Junior High (554 students), and Morris Schott Elementary (317 students). See the Wahluke 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.