Enrollment
360
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 530978003722
White River Early Learning Center — Buckley, WA
Federal NCES profile for White River Early Learning Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 32/100.
👥 Class size 23
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 47
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: White River School District · Washington
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.2:1
vs 17.8:1 Washington avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.7%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How White River Early Learning Center compares with Washington and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
White River Early Learning Center reports 360 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 19.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 19.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 8% above the Washington state mean of 17.8:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 21% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 29.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 34% below the Washington average and 43% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 360 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 21.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding White River School District spends $16,540 per pupil district-wide, below the Washington average of $23,175 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 31.1% from local sources (property taxes), 63.6% from the state, and 5.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How White River Early Learning Center compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Washington state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.2:1 | ▲ 8% | 17.8:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.7% | ▼ 34% | 45.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 360 | top 46% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
29.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 34% below the Washington average of 45.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.2:1
students per teacher
— 8% above state mean
Top 76% in Washington — lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
21.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$16,540
per pupil, district-wide
— below Washington avg of $23,175
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 360 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
Enrollment 360 Top 46% in Washington — larger than 54% of 2,465 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 19.0
Students per teacher 19.2:1 +8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 29.7% -34% vs state
NCES ID 530978003722
Student demographics
White 68.9%
Hispanic or Latino 16.1%
Two or More 9.2%
Asian 2.8%
African American 2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 68.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 360:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 21.4%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for White River School District, which includes White River Early Learning Center.
$16,540
Per student
-29%
vs Washington
Avg $23,175
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 31.1%
State 63.6%
Federal 5.3%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,340
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Enrollment
- 999
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Enrollment
- 564
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Enrollment
- 470
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Enrollment
- 443
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
Similar other schools in Buckley
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about White River Early Learning Center
How many students attend White River Early Learning Center?
White River Early Learning Center has 360 students enrolled. It is a other school in Buckley, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at White River Early Learning Center?
The student-teacher ratio at White River Early Learning Center is 19.2:1, which is 8% higher than the Washington average of 17.8:1 and 21% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at White River Early Learning Center?
29.7% of students at White River Early Learning Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of White River Early Learning Center?
The largest demographic group at White River Early Learning Center is White at 68.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in Buckley, WA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for White River Early Learning Center?
White River Early Learning Center has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.