Enrollment
468
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Owatonna, MN
Washington Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Washington Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 68/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 272805001230
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 83
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Washington Elementary earns 68/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median.
- #2 of 4
- elementary schools in Owatonna · Resource Index
- 68
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.6:1
- students per teacher
- 38.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Washington Elementary has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Washington Elementary ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Owatonna, MN.
School address
District: Owatonna Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 272805001230 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.4%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Washington Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Washington Elementary
Washington Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Owatonna, Minnesota, enrolling 468 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 38.4% lands close to the Minnesota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 468 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 98% of the 2,334 Minnesota schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 418 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #1, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 39/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Owatonna Public School District also operates Owatonna Senior High (1,468 students) and Owatonna Middle School (1,015 students) alongside Washington 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 Washington Elementary compares
Washington Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.6:1 | ▼ 20% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.4% | ▼ 10% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 468 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
468
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 34% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
6.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,242
per pupil, district-wide
- below Minnesota avg of $15,270
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 76.3%
Hispanic or Latino 16.0%
Two or More 3.8%
African American 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Asian 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 76.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.0, Washington Elementary is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Owatonna Public School District, which includes Washington Elementary.
$13,242
Per student
-13%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.1%
State 65.6%
Federal 10.4%
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 Washington Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owatonna Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Owatonna Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mckinley Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wilson Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Washington Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,468
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,015
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 510
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 505
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
- Enrollment
- 454
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Minnesota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~468 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Washington Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Washington Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Owatonna Public 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 Washington Elementary
How many students attend Washington Elementary?
Washington Elementary has 468 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Owatonna, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Washington Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Washington Elementary is 12.6:1, which is 20% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 20% 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 Washington Elementary?
38.4% of students at Washington Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Washington Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Washington Elementary is White at 76.3% of enrollment, in Owatonna, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Washington Elementary?
Washington Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 68/100 (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 Washington Elementary rank among elementary schools in Owatonna?
By Resource Investment Index, Washington Elementary ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Owatonna, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Owatonna on the city page.
Is Washington Elementary a good school?
Washington Elementary earns 68/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota 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 Owatonna Public School District?
Besides Washington Elementary, Owatonna Public School District also operates Owatonna Senior High (1,468 students), Owatonna Middle School (1,015 students), and Mckinley Elementary (510 students). See the Owatonna Public 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.