Enrollment
681
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Colton, CA
Alice Birney Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Alice Birney Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 18/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060939007687
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Alice Birney Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #8 of 10
- elementary schools in Colton · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.2:1
- large classes for California
- 83.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Alice Birney Elementary has class sizes larger than 81% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Alice Birney Elementary ranks #8 of 10 elementary schools in Colton, CA.
School address
District: Colton Joint Unified · California
NCES ID 060939007687 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
83.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+51% 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 Colton, California, enrolling 681 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.2:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 83.7% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 681 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,735 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,318, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 10/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1362 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 58.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Colton's elementary schools, it stands alongside Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary (608 students): Alice Birney Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (25.2:1 vs 25.3:1).
Colton Joint Unified also operates Bloomington High (1,794 students) and Colton High (1,729 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 | 25.2:1 | ▲ 17% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 83.7% | ▲ 51% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 681 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.2:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
681
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
83.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% 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
25.2:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 81% in California - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
58.1%
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
$16,590
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.8 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 94.7%
White 2.3%
African American 1.8%
Asian 0.6%
Two or More 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 94.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 10.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 10.2, Alice Birney Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Colton Joint Unified, which includes Alice Birney Elementary.
$16,590
Per student
+0%
vs California
Avg $16,509
0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.0%
State 68.2%
Federal 11.8%
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 Alice Birney Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Colton High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Grand Terrace High Sch at the Ray Abril Jr. Edal Complex | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Colton Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Terrace Hills Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower 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
- 1,794
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,729
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,647
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 870
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 852
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar elementary schools in Colton
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary
Standard public school
608 students 25.3:1 students per teacher
Georgia F. Morris Elementary
Standard public school
604 students 25.2:1 students per teacher
Paul Rogers Elementary
Standard public school
602 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
Ulysses Grant Elementary
Standard public school
589 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Abraham Lincoln Elementary
Standard public school
587 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
Reche Canyon Elementary
Standard public school
547 students 22.8:1 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 (~681 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Alice Birney Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Alice Birney Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Colton Joint Unified'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 681 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Colton, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Alice Birney Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Alice Birney Elementary is 25.2:1, which is 17% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 61% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Alice Birney Elementary?
83.7% 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 94.7% of enrollment, in Colton, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Alice Birney Elementary?
Alice Birney Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, 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 Colton?
By Resource Investment Index, Alice Birney Elementary ranks #8 of 10 elementary schools in Colton, 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 Colton on the city page.
Is Alice Birney Elementary a good school?
Alice Birney Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of California schools. It is also less 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 Colton Joint Unified?
Besides Alice Birney Elementary, Colton Joint Unified also operates Bloomington High (1,794 students), Colton High (1,729 students), and Grand Terrace High Sch at the Ray Abril Jr. Edal Complex (1,647 students). See the Colton Joint Unified 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.