Enrollment
255
Wyoming · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Ranchester, WY
Tongue River Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Tongue River Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 560569000314
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tongue River Elementary earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Wyoming schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Ranchester · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.2:1
- large classes for Wyoming
- 26.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Tongue River Elementary has class sizes larger than 83% of Wyoming schools. Computed live against every Wyoming school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tongue River Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Ranchester, WY.
School address
District: Sheridan County School District #1 · Wyoming
NCES ID 560569000314 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 11.4:1 Wyoming avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.1%
vs 27.4% Wyoming avg
-5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tongue River Elementary compares with Wyoming and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tongue River Elementary
Tongue River Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Ranchester, Wyoming, enrolling 255 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Wyoming schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 26.1% lands close to the Wyoming typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 255 students, its enrollment sits close to the Wyoming median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 347 scored Wyoming schools.
Against 114 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #40.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 255 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
15.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Sheridan County School District #1 spends $17,202 per pupil, 23% below the Wyoming average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Ranchester's elementary schools, it stands alongside Slack Elementary (29 students): Tongue River Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.2:1 vs 14.5:1).
Sheridan County School District #1 also operates Tongue River High School (276 students) and Big Horn Elementary (216 students) alongside Tongue River 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 Tongue River Elementary compares
Tongue River Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Wyoming and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wyoming | Wyoming avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.2:1 | ▲ 25% | 11.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.1% | ▼ 5% | 27.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 255 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
255
Bigger than 26% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% below the Wyoming average of 27.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 83% in Wyoming - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
15.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$17,202
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wyoming avg of $22,313
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 255 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 84.3%
Two or More 6.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 5.9%
Hispanic or Latino 2.7%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 84.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.1, Tongue River Elementary is less mixed than the Wyoming school average of 33.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sheridan County School District #1, which includes Tongue River Elementary.
$17,202
Per student
-23%
vs Wyoming
Avg $22,313
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.9%
State 68.3%
Federal 5.8%
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 Tongue River Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tongue River High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Big Horn Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Big Horn High School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tongue River Middle School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Big Horn Middle School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tongue River Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 276
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 216
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 169
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 152
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 134
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar elementary schools in Ranchester
1 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 Wyoming, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~255 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tongue River Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Tongue River Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Sheridan County School District #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 Tongue River Elementary
How many students attend Tongue River Elementary?
Tongue River Elementary has 255 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Ranchester, WY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tongue River Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Tongue River Elementary is 14.2:1, which is 25% higher than the Wyoming average of 11.4:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Tongue River Elementary?
26.1% of students at Tongue River Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wyoming average of 27.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tongue River Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Tongue River Elementary is White at 84.3% of enrollment, in Ranchester, WY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tongue River Elementary?
Tongue River Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical 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 Tongue River Elementary rank among public schools in Ranchester?
By Resource Investment Index, Tongue River Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Ranchester, WY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Ranchester on the city page.
Is Tongue River Elementary a good school?
Tongue River Elementary earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Wyoming 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 Sheridan County School District #1?
Besides Tongue River Elementary, Sheridan County School District #1 also operates Tongue River High School (276 students), Big Horn Elementary (216 students), and Big Horn High School (169 students). See the Sheridan County School District #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.