Enrollment
357
Massachusetts · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Waltham, MA
Thomas R Plympton Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Thomas R Plympton Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 62/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 251200001978
👥 S:T ratio 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 64
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thomas R Plympton Elementary School earns 62/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Massachusetts median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Massachusetts schools.
- #1 of 5
- elementary schools in Waltham · Resource Index
- 62
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.2:1
- students per teacher
- 357
- students enrolled
Thomas R Plympton Elementary School has class sizes near the Massachusetts median. Computed live against every Massachusetts school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas R Plympton Elementary School ranks #1 of 5 elementary schools in Waltham, MA.
School address
District: Waltham · Massachusetts
NCES ID 251200001978 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.2:1
vs 12.3:1 Massachusetts avg
-9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thomas R Plympton Elementary School compares with Massachusetts and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thomas R Plympton Elementary School
Thomas R Plympton Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Waltham, Massachusetts, enrolling 357 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Massachusetts schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 357 students, its enrollment sits close to the Massachusetts median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 98% of the 1,831 Massachusetts schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (39%) and Hispanic or Latino (38%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 179 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
17.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Waltham's elementary schools, it stands alongside Douglas Macarthur Elementary School (475 students): Thomas R Plympton Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.2:1 vs 11.6:1).
Waltham also operates Waltham Sr High (1,791 students) and John F Kennedy Middle (635 students) alongside Thomas R Plympton 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 Thomas R Plympton Elementary School compares
Thomas R Plympton Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Massachusetts and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Massachusetts | Massachusetts avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.2:1 | ▼ 9% | 12.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 357 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.2:1
Leaner classes than 82% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
357
Bigger than 41% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
11.2:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 37% in Massachusetts - lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
17.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$26,713
per pupil, district-wide
- above Massachusetts avg of $22,458
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 179 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 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 38.9%
Hispanic or Latino 38.1%
African American 13.4%
Two or More 5.3%
Asian 4.2%
Largest group: White at 38.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.1, Thomas R Plympton Elementary School is more mixed than the Massachusetts school average of 47.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waltham, which includes Thomas R Plympton Elementary School.
$26,713
Per student
+19%
vs Massachusetts
Avg $22,458
+61%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.4%
State 33.3%
Federal 6.3%
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 Thomas R Plympton Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waltham Sr High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| John F Kennedy Middle | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| John W. Mcdevitt Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northeast Elementary School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Douglas Macarthur Elementary School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thomas R Plympton Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,791
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 635
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 618
- Students per teacher
- 8.8:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 527
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 475
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar elementary schools in Waltham
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Douglas Macarthur Elementary School
Standard public school
475 students 11.6:1 students per teacher
Henry Whittemore Elementary School
Standard public school
372 students 9.3:1 students per teacher
James Fitzgerald Elementary School
Standard public school
350 students 9.5:1 students per teacher
Waltham Public Schools Dual Language Program
Standard public school
222 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~357 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thomas R Plympton Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Thomas R Plympton Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Waltham'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 Thomas R Plympton Elementary School
How many students attend Thomas R Plympton Elementary School?
Thomas R Plympton Elementary School has 357 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Waltham, MA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thomas R Plympton Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thomas R Plympton Elementary School is 11.2:1, which is 9% lower than the Massachusetts average of 12.3:1 and 29% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thomas R Plympton Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Thomas R Plympton Elementary School is White at 38.9% of enrollment, in Waltham, MA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thomas R Plympton Elementary School?
Thomas R Plympton Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 62/100 (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 Thomas R Plympton Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Waltham?
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas R Plympton Elementary School ranks #1 of 5 elementary schools in Waltham, MA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Waltham on the city page.
Is Thomas R Plympton Elementary School a good school?
Thomas R Plympton Elementary School earns 62/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Massachusetts median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Waltham?
Besides Thomas R Plympton Elementary School, Waltham also operates Waltham Sr High (1,791 students), John F Kennedy Middle (635 students), and John W. Mcdevitt Middle School (618 students). See the Waltham 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.