Enrollment
188
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Seattle, WA
Stephen Decatur Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Stephen Decatur Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 66/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 530771003618
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 97
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Stephen Decatur Elementary School earns 66/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #3 of 10
- elementary schools in Seattle · Resource Index
- 66
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.1:1
- students per teacher
- 2.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Stephen Decatur Elementary School has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Stephen Decatur Elementary School ranks #3 of 10 elementary schools in Seattle, WA.
School address
District: Seattle School District No. 1 · Washington
NCES ID 530771003618 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.1:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
2.9%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-94% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Stephen Decatur Elementary School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Stephen Decatur Elementary School
Stephen Decatur Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Seattle, Washington, enrolling 188 students.
At 17.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Washington median, within a few percentage points of the 17.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 2.9% free-meal eligibility runs 94% below the Washington average.
Enrollment of 188 puts it in the smaller third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 2,394 Washington schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 28 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #7.
Its student body is led by White (43%) and Asian (28%) (diversity index 67/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 1.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Seattle's elementary schools, it stands alongside Hazel Wolf K-8 (660 students): Stephen Decatur Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.1:1 vs 16.1:1).
Seattle School District No. 1 also operates Lincoln High School (1,770 students) and Ballard High School (1,697 students) alongside Stephen Decatur 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 Stephen Decatur Elementary School compares
Stephen Decatur Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.1:1 | ▼ 3% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 2.9% | ▼ 94% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 188 | top 74% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.1:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
188
Bigger than 18% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
2.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 94% below the Washington average of 45.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.1:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 57% in Washington - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
1.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$20,430
per pupil, district-wide
- above Washington avg of $19,487
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially 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 + 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
White 42.8%
Asian 28.3%
Two or More 25.1%
Hispanic or Latino 3.2%
African American 0.5%
Largest group: White at 42.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.3, Stephen Decatur Elementary School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Seattle School District No. 1, which includes Stephen Decatur Elementary School.
$20,430
Per student
+5%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.0%
State 50.6%
Federal 9.3%
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 Stephen Decatur Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ballard High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Garfield High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Seattle High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Stephen Decatur Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,770
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,697
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,542
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,507
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,479
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary schools in Seattle
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Hazel Wolf K-8
Standard public school
660 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Cascadia Elementary
Standard public school
531 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Mcdonald International School
Standard public school
443 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Bryn Mawr Elementary School
Standard public school
415 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Rainier Prep
Standard public school
359 students 15:1 students per teacher
Campbell Hill Elementary School
Standard public school
345 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
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 (~188 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Stephen Decatur Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Stephen Decatur Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Seattle School District No. 1'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 Stephen Decatur Elementary School
How many students attend Stephen Decatur Elementary School?
Stephen Decatur Elementary School has 188 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Seattle, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Stephen Decatur Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Stephen Decatur Elementary School is 17.1:1, which is 3% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 9% higher 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 Stephen Decatur Elementary School?
2.9% of students at Stephen Decatur Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Stephen Decatur Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Stephen Decatur Elementary School is White at 42.8% of enrollment, in Seattle, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Stephen Decatur Elementary School?
Stephen Decatur Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 66/100 (higher 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 Stephen Decatur Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Seattle?
By Resource Investment Index, Stephen Decatur Elementary School ranks #3 of 10 elementary schools in Seattle, 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 Seattle on the city page.
Is Stephen Decatur Elementary School a good school?
Stephen Decatur Elementary School earns 66/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington 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 Seattle School District No. 1?
Besides Stephen Decatur Elementary School, Seattle School District No. 1 also operates Lincoln High School (1,770 students), Ballard High School (1,697 students), and Roosevelt High School (1,542 students). See the Seattle School District No. 1 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.