Enrollment
34
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Tacoma, WA
Willard Early Learning Center
Federal NCES profile for Willard Early Learning Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 530870003702
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Willard Early Learning Center earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data.
- #42 of 42
- schools in Tacoma · Resource Index
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 55.9%
- free-lunch eligible
- 34
- students enrolled
By Resource Investment Index, Willard Early Learning Center ranks #42 of 42 schools in Tacoma, WA.
School address
District: Tacoma School District · Washington
NCES ID 530870003702 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Free-lunch eligible
55.9%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+24% vs state
What stands out at Willard Early Learning Center
Willard Early Learning Center is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Tacoma, Washington, enrolling 34 students.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 55.9% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 91% of Washington schools, with 34 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 2,394 Washington schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 48 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Washington schools statewide, it ranks #44, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 97.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Tacoma's public schools, it stands alongside Columbia Junior High School (619 students): Willard Early Learning Center is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Tacoma School District also operates Stadium High School (1,700 students) and Lincoln High School (1,556 students) alongside Willard Early Learning Center.
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 Willard Early Learning Center compares
Willard Early Learning Center on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.9% | ▲ 24% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 34 | top 91% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
34
Bigger than 4% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% above the Washington average of 45.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Engagement
97.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$17,575
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tacoma School District, which includes Willard Early Learning Center.
$17,575
Per student
-10%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.2%
State 57.0%
Federal 12.8%
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 Willard Early Learning Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stadium High School | Larger | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
| Lincoln High School | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Mount Tahoma High School | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Dr. Dolores Silas High School | Larger | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
| Baker Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Willard Early Learning Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,700
- Students per teacher
- 25.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,556
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,410
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,160
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 687
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar other schools in Tacoma
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Columbia Junior High School
Standard public school
619 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Sheridan Elementary School
Standard public school
525 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Geiger Montessori School
Standard public school
521 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Boze Elementary School
Standard public school
485 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Brookdale Elementary
Standard public school
483 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Birney Elementary School
Standard public school
476 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Washington, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Willard Early Learning Center's federal record.
- Compare Willard Early Learning Center against another school. Compare schools
- Tacoma 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 Willard Early Learning Center
How many students attend Willard Early Learning Center?
Willard Early Learning Center has 34 students enrolled. It is a public school in Tacoma, WA.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Willard Early Learning Center?
55.9% of students at Willard Early Learning Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Willard Early Learning Center?
Willard Early Learning Center has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Willard Early Learning Center rank among schools in Tacoma?
By Resource Investment Index, Willard Early Learning Center ranks #42 of 42 schools in Tacoma, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Tacoma on the city page.
Is Willard Early Learning Center a good school?
Willard Early Learning Center earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. 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 Tacoma School District?
Besides Willard Early Learning Center, Tacoma School District also operates Stadium High School (1,700 students), Lincoln High School (1,556 students), and Mount Tahoma High School (1,410 students). See the Tacoma 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.