Enrollment
319
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Redding, CA
Alta Mesa Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Alta Mesa Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061281001439
👥 S:T ratio 15
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Alta Mesa Elementary earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #18 of 24
- elementary schools in Redding · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.3:1
- students per teacher
- 71.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Alta Mesa Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Alta Mesa Elementary ranks #18 of 24 elementary schools in Redding, CA.
School address
District: Enterprise Elementary · California
NCES ID 061281001439 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
71.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
+29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Alta Mesa Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Alta Mesa Elementary
Alta Mesa Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Redding, California, enrolling 319 students.
At 21.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 71.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 319 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,346 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,022, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (56%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 319 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 53.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Redding's elementary schools, it stands alongside Boulder Creek Elementary (839 students): Alta Mesa Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.3:1 vs 22.1:1).
Enterprise Elementary also operates Boulder Creek Elementary (839 students) and Mistletoe Elementary (682 students) alongside Alta Mesa 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 Mesa Elementary compares
Alta Mesa 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 | 21.3:1 | ▼ 1% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.4% | ▲ 29% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 319 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.3:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
319
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
71.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% 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
21.3:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 46% in California - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
53.3%
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
$14,917
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 319 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 32 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.0 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
White 56.4%
Hispanic or Latino 17.6%
Two or More 12.9%
Asian 8.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.5%
African American 2.2%
Largest group: White at 56.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.6, Alta Mesa Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Enterprise Elementary, which includes Alta Mesa Elementary.
$14,917
Per student
-10%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.7%
State 62.0%
Federal 15.3%
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 Mesa Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder Creek Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mistletoe Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Parsons Junior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lassen View Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shasta Meadows Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Alta Mesa Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 839
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 682
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 522
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 443
- Students per teacher
- 26.1:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 320
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
Similar elementary schools in Redding
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Boulder Creek Elementary
Standard public school
839 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Turtle Bay
Standard public school
692 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
Mistletoe Elementary
Standard public school
682 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Grant Elementary
Standard public school
600 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Manzanita Elementary
Standard public school
545 students 23.7:1 students per teacher
Buckeye School of the Arts
Standard public school
482 students 17.9:1 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 (~319 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Alta Mesa Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Alta Mesa Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Enterprise Elementary'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 Mesa Elementary
How many students attend Alta Mesa Elementary?
Alta Mesa Elementary has 319 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Redding, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Alta Mesa Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Alta Mesa Elementary is 21.3:1, which is 1% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 36% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Alta Mesa Elementary?
71.4% of students at Alta Mesa Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Alta Mesa Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Alta Mesa Elementary is White at 56.4% of enrollment, in Redding, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Alta Mesa Elementary?
Alta Mesa Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (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 Alta Mesa Elementary rank among elementary schools in Redding?
By Resource Investment Index, Alta Mesa Elementary ranks #18 of 24 elementary schools in Redding, 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 Redding on the city page.
Is Alta Mesa Elementary a good school?
Alta Mesa Elementary earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Enterprise Elementary?
Besides Alta Mesa Elementary, Enterprise Elementary also operates Boulder Creek Elementary (839 students), Mistletoe Elementary (682 students), and Parsons Junior High (522 students). See the Enterprise Elementary 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.