About PlainSchools

PlainSchools provides factual, transparent data on every public school and school district in the United States. We believe families and researchers deserve direct access to official education data without the filter of subjective ratings or scores.

Our Data

All data comes directly from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), specifically the Common Core of Data (CCD) for the 2022-23 school year. This includes:

• School profiles: Enrollment, grade levels, school type, charter/magnet status
• Demographics: Student body racial and ethnic composition
• Staffing: Teacher counts and student-teacher ratios
• Lunch programs: Free and reduced-price lunch eligibility
• District finances: Per-pupil expenditure and revenue sources (federal/state/local)

Why No Ratings?

School rating sites typically aggregate test scores into a single number. Research consistently shows that test scores correlate strongly with parental income levels, not necessarily with school quality. A school rated "low" may be doing exceptional work with the resources available, while a "top-rated" school may simply serve an affluent community.

We present the data as-is and let you draw your own conclusions. Student-teacher ratios, funding levels, demographics, and program availability paint a more complete picture than any rating could.

Updates

NCES releases updated CCD data annually, typically in late fall. We update our database when new data becomes available.

Not Affiliated

PlainSchools is not affiliated with the US Department of Education, NCES, or any government agency. We are an independent data portal providing public information in a more accessible format.

Contact

For questions or feedback, email hello@plainschools.com.