Enrollment
515
Ohio · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Massillon, OH
Watson Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Watson Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 390499203755
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 84
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Watson Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Ohio schools.
- #5 of 13
- elementary schools in Massillon · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.8:1
- large classes for Ohio
- 35.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Watson Elementary School has class sizes larger than 93% of Ohio schools. Computed live against every Ohio school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Watson Elementary School ranks #5 of 13 elementary schools in Massillon, OH.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.8:1
vs 18.2:1 Ohio avg
+42% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.5%
vs 31.6% Ohio avg
+12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Watson Elementary School compares with Ohio and U.S. medians
What stands out at Watson Elementary School
Watson Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Massillon, Ohio, enrolling 515 students.
Class loads run heavy: 25.8:1 is larger than about 93% of Ohio schools and 42% above the 18.2:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 35.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 515 puts it in the larger third of Ohio schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,574 scored Ohio schools.
Against 714 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #359.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 515 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 15.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Massillon's elementary schools, it stands alongside Jackson Memorial Middle School (1,313 students): Watson Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.8:1 vs 19.9:1).
Perry Local also operates Perry High School (1,456 students) and Pfeiffer Intermediate School (587 students) alongside Watson 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 Watson Elementary School compares
Watson Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Ohio and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Ohio | Ohio avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 25.8:1 | ▲ 42% | 18.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.5% | ▲ 12% | 31.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 515 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.8:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
515
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% above the Ohio average of 31.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
25.8:1
students per teacher
- 42% above state mean
Top 93% in Ohio - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
6.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$12,471
per pupil, district-wide
- below Ohio avg of $14,655
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 515 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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 82.9%
Two or More 9.9%
African American 4.3%
Hispanic or Latino 2.1%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: White at 82.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.1, Watson Elementary School is less mixed than the Ohio school average of 35.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Perry Local, which includes Watson Elementary School.
$12,471
Per student
-15%
vs Ohio
Avg $14,655
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.5%
State 37.8%
Federal 15.7%
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 Watson Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perry High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pfeiffer Intermediate School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Edison Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Genoa Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lohr Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Watson Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,456
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 587
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 585
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 474
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 445
- Students per teacher
- 29.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar elementary schools in Massillon
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Jackson Memorial Middle School
Standard public school
1,313 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Massillon Intermediate School
Standard public school
900 students 20:1 students per teacher
Strausser Elementary School
Standard public school
819 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Sauder Elementary School
Standard public school
722 students 21.9:1 students per teacher
Pfeiffer Intermediate School
Standard public school
587 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Tuslaw Elementary School
Standard public school
482 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Ohio, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~515 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Watson Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Watson Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Perry Local'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 Watson Elementary School
How many students attend Watson Elementary School?
Watson Elementary School has 515 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Massillon, OH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Watson Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Watson Elementary School is 25.8:1, which is 42% higher than the Ohio average of 18.2:1 and 64% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Watson Elementary School?
35.5% of students at Watson Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Ohio average of 31.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Watson Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Watson Elementary School is White at 82.9% of enrollment, in Massillon, OH.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Watson Elementary School?
Watson Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Watson Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Massillon?
By Resource Investment Index, Watson Elementary School ranks #5 of 13 elementary schools in Massillon, OH. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Massillon on the city page.
Is Watson Elementary School a good school?
Watson Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Ohio 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 Perry Local?
Besides Watson Elementary School, Perry Local also operates Perry High School (1,456 students), Pfeiffer Intermediate School (587 students), and Edison Middle School (585 students). See the Perry Local 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.