Enrollment
375
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Eureka, CA
Alice Birney Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Alice Birney Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 12/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060005201475
👥 S:T ratio 6
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Alice Birney Elementary earns 12/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #11 of 11
- elementary schools in Eureka · Resource Index
- 12
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.4:1
- students per teacher
- 86.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Alice Birney Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Alice Birney Elementary ranks #11 of 11 elementary schools in Eureka, CA.
School address
District: Eureka City Schools · California
NCES ID 060005201475 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
86.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
+56% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Alice Birney Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Alice Birney Elementary
Alice Birney Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Eureka, California, enrolling 375 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.4:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 86.5% of students qualify for free meals, 56% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 375 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,386 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,290, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (33%) and White (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 77/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Eureka's elementary schools, it stands alongside Washington Elementary (426 students): Alice Birney Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.4:1 vs 22.4:1).
Eureka City Schools also operates Eureka Senior High (1,162 students) and Washington Elementary (426 students) alongside Alice Birney Elementary.
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 Alice Birney Elementary compares
Alice Birney Elementary on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 23.4:1 | ▲ 9% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 86.5% | ▲ 56% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 375 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.4:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
375
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
86.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 56% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
23.4:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 66% in California - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
47.2%
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
$14,344
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 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
Hispanic or Latino 33.1%
White 24.5%
Asian 20.0%
Two or More 12.8%
African American 3.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 3.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 33.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 77.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 77.1, Alice Birney Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Eureka City Schools, which includes Alice Birney Elementary.
$14,344
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.9%
State 45.9%
Federal 20.1%
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 Alice Birney Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eureka Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Washington Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Catherine L. Zane Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Winship Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lafayette Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Alice Birney Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,162
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 426
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 417
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 413
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 324
- Students per teacher
- 32.4:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
Similar elementary schools in Eureka
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Washington Elementary
Standard public school
426 students 22.4:1 students per teacher
Lafayette Elementary
Standard public school
324 students 32.4:1 students per teacher
Cutten Elementary
Standard public school
288 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Freshwater Elementary
Standard public school
283 students 25.7:1 students per teacher
Grant Elementary
Standard public school
278 students 25.3:1 students per teacher
Ridgewood Elementary
Standard public school
260 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~375 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Alice Birney Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Alice Birney Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Eureka City Schools'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 Alice Birney Elementary
How many students attend Alice Birney Elementary?
Alice Birney Elementary has 375 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Eureka, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Alice Birney Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Alice Birney Elementary is 23.4:1, which is 9% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 49% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Alice Birney Elementary?
86.5% of students at Alice Birney Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Alice Birney Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Alice Birney Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 33.1% of enrollment, in Eureka, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 77.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Alice Birney Elementary?
Alice Birney Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 12/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Alice Birney Elementary rank among elementary schools in Eureka?
By Resource Investment Index, Alice Birney Elementary ranks #11 of 11 elementary schools in Eureka, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Eureka on the city page.
Is Alice Birney Elementary a good school?
Alice Birney Elementary earns 12/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California 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 Eureka City Schools?
Besides Alice Birney Elementary, Eureka City Schools also operates Eureka Senior High (1,162 students), Washington Elementary (426 students), and Catherine L. Zane Middle (417 students). See the Eureka City Schools 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.