Why this matters
NCES pupil:teacher ratio is enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent teaching staff. It isn't class size — specialists, resource teachers and coaches pull the ratio down without changing what's happening in a classroom — but a lower ratio generally means more adult attention per student.
What we're seeing
At Helena Elementary, the student:teacher ratio has risen 9% over the 5-year window — from 17.8:1 in 2019 to 19.4:1 in 2023. Despite that, the gap vs US average of 15.4:1 has actually widened — from 2.4:1 above in 2019 to 4.0:1 above in 2023.