Enrollment
364
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Reedley, CA
Alta Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Alta Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061970002363
👥 S:T ratio 3
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 79
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Alta Elementary earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #3 of 7
- elementary schools in Reedley · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 24.3:1
- large classes for California
- 74.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Alta Elementary has class sizes larger than 74% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Alta Elementary ranks #3 of 7 elementary schools in Reedley, CA.
School address
District: Kings Canyon Joint Unified · California
NCES ID 061970002363 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Alta Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Alta Elementary
Alta Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Reedley, California, enrolling 364 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.3:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 74.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 364 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 93% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 1,665 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #31, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (92% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 15/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Reedley's elementary schools, it stands alongside Silas Bartsch (606 students): Alta Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.3:1 vs 24.2:1).
Kings Canyon Joint Unified also operates Reedley High (1,804 students) and Orange Cove High (635 students) alongside Alta 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 Alta Elementary compares
Alta 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 | 24.3:1 | ▲ 13% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.9% | ▲ 35% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 364 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.3:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
364
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
24.3:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 74% in California - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
8.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$16,344
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 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 92.3%
White 4.9%
Two or More 2.2%
African American 0.3%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 92.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 14.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 14.5, Alta Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kings Canyon Joint Unified, which includes Alta Elementary.
$16,344
Per student
-1%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.0%
State 69.6%
Federal 14.4%
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 Alta Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reedley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Orange Cove High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Silas Bartsch | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Citrus Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Thomas Law Reed Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Alta Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,804
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 635
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 606
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 602
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 558
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar elementary schools in Reedley
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Silas Bartsch
Standard public school
606 students 24.2:1 students per teacher
Thomas Law Reed Elementary
Standard public school
558 students 23.3:1 students per teacher
Jefferson Elementary
Standard public school
477 students 25.1:1 students per teacher
Great Western Elementary
Standard public school
309 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Lincoln Elementary
Standard public school
303 students 23.3:1 students per teacher
Washington Elementary
Standard public school
288 students 19.2:1 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 (~364 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Alta Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Alta Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Kings Canyon 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 Alta Elementary
How many students attend Alta Elementary?
Alta Elementary has 364 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Reedley, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Alta Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Alta Elementary is 24.3:1, which is 13% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 55% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Alta Elementary?
74.9% of students at Alta Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Alta Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Alta Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 92.3% of enrollment, in Reedley, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Alta Elementary?
Alta Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher 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 Alta Elementary rank among elementary schools in Reedley?
By Resource Investment Index, Alta Elementary ranks #3 of 7 elementary schools in Reedley, 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 Reedley on the city page.
Is Alta Elementary a good school?
Alta Elementary earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% 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 Kings Canyon Joint Unified?
Besides Alta Elementary, Kings Canyon Joint Unified also operates Reedley High (1,804 students), Orange Cove High (635 students), and Silas Bartsch (606 students). See the Kings Canyon 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.