Enrollment
276
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Port Orchard, WA
South Colby Elementary
Federal NCES profile for South Colby Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 530816001356
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Colby Elementary earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Washington schools.
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.5:1
- small classes for Washington
- 22.1%
- free-lunch eligible
- 276
- students enrolled
South Colby Elementary has class sizes smaller than 72% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: South Kitsap School District · Washington
NCES ID 530816001356 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.1%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Colby Elementary compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Colby Elementary
South Colby Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Port Orchard, Washington, enrolling 276 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 22.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 276 puts it in the smaller third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 187 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #46.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and Two or More (14%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 256 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
14.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Port Orchard's public schools, it stands alongside Madrona Heights (56 students): South Colby Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.5:1 vs 14:1).
South Kitsap School District also operates South Kitsap High School (2,448 students) and John Sedgwick Middle School (731 students) alongside South Colby 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 South Colby Elementary compares
South Colby 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 | 14.5:1 | ▼ 18% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.1% | ▼ 51% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 276 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
276
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% 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
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 28% in Washington - lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
14.1%
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
$17,526
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.1 FTE
Per 256 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 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 70.7%
Two or More 14.1%
Hispanic or Latino 11.2%
African American 1.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.4%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 70.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.7, South Colby Elementary is less mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Kitsap School District, which includes South Colby Elementary.
$17,526
Per student
-10%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.4%
State 66.8%
Federal 13.8%
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 South Colby Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Kitsap High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John Sedgwick Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cedar Heights Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Marcus Whitman Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Orchard Heights Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Colby Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,448
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 731
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 689
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 623
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 529
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Port Orchard
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~276 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Colby Elementary's federal record.
- Compare South Colby Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- South Kitsap 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 South Colby Elementary
How many students attend South Colby Elementary?
South Colby Elementary has 276 students enrolled. It is a public school in Port Orchard, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Colby Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at South Colby Elementary is 14.5:1, which is 18% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 8% 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 South Colby Elementary?
22.1% of students at South Colby Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Colby Elementary?
The largest demographic group at South Colby Elementary is White at 70.7% of enrollment, in Port Orchard, WA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Colby Elementary?
South Colby Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (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).
Is South Colby Elementary a good school?
South Colby Elementary earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of 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 South Kitsap School District?
Besides South Colby Elementary, South Kitsap School District also operates South Kitsap High School (2,448 students), John Sedgwick Middle School (731 students), and Cedar Heights Middle School (689 students). See the South Kitsap 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.