Enrollment
595
Utah · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Saint George, UT
South Mesa Elementary
Federal NCES profile for South Mesa Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 490114001602
👥 S:T ratio 12
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Mesa Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Utah median.
- #7 of 11
- public schools in Saint George · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22:1
- students per teacher
- 10.8%
- free-lunch eligible
South Mesa Elementary has class sizes near the Utah median. Computed live against every Utah school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Mesa Elementary ranks #7 of 11 public schools in Saint George, UT.
School address
District: Washington District · Utah
NCES ID 490114001602 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22:1
vs 21.4:1 Utah avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.8%
vs 28.0% Utah avg
-61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Mesa Elementary compares with Utah and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Mesa Elementary
South Mesa Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Saint George, Utah, enrolling 595 students.
At 22:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Utah median, within a few percentage points of the 21.4:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 10.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 595 students, its enrollment sits close to the Utah median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,065 scored Utah schools.
Against 322 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #127.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 20/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 595 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
17.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Washington District also operates Utah Online K8 (2,693 students) and Utah Online 7-12 (1,547 students) alongside South Mesa 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 Mesa Elementary compares
South Mesa Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Utah and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Utah | Utah avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22:1 | ▲ 3% | 21.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.8% | ▼ 61% | 28.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 595 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
595
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 61% below the Utah average of 28.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
22:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 57% in Utah - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
17.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$8,179
per pupil, district-wide
- below Utah avg of $9,792
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 595 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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 89.1%
Hispanic or Latino 7.4%
Two or More 1.8%
African American 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 89.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.0, South Mesa Elementary is less mixed than the Utah school average of 40.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Washington District, which includes South Mesa Elementary.
$8,179
Per student
-16%
vs Utah
Avg $9,792
-51%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.7%
State 43.3%
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 South Mesa Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah Online K8 | Larger | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
| Utah Online 7-12 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Crimson Cliffs High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Snow Canyon High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dixie High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Mesa Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,693
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 70/100
- Enrollment
- 1,547
- Students per teacher
- 29.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,401
- Students per teacher
- 28:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,324
- Students per teacher
- 25.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,263
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Utah, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~595 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Mesa Elementary's federal record.
- Compare South Mesa Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Washington 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 Mesa Elementary
How many students attend South Mesa Elementary?
South Mesa Elementary has 595 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Saint George, UT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Mesa Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at South Mesa Elementary is 22:1, which is 3% higher than the Utah average of 21.4:1 and 40% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Mesa Elementary?
10.8% of students at South Mesa Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Utah average of 28.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Mesa Elementary?
The largest demographic group at South Mesa Elementary is White at 89.1% of enrollment, in Saint George, UT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Mesa Elementary?
South Mesa Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower 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 South Mesa Elementary rank among public schools in Saint George?
By Resource Investment Index, South Mesa Elementary ranks #7 of 11 public schools in Saint George, UT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Saint George on the city page.
Is South Mesa Elementary a good school?
South Mesa Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Utah 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 Washington District?
Besides South Mesa Elementary, Washington District also operates Utah Online K8 (2,693 students), Utah Online 7-12 (1,547 students), and Crimson Cliffs High (1,401 students). See the Washington 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.