Enrollment
240
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Arcata, CA
Arcata Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Arcata Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060300000237
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Arcata Elementary earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 87% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #5 of 6
- elementary schools in Arcata · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16:1
- small classes for California
- 70.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Arcata Elementary has class sizes smaller than 87% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Arcata Elementary ranks #5 of 6 elementary schools in Arcata, CA.
School address
District: Arcata Elementary · California
NCES ID 060300000237 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Arcata Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Arcata Elementary
Arcata Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Arcata, California, enrolling 240 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 16:1, Arcata Elementary is leaner than roughly 87% of California schools and 26% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 70.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 240 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 796 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #596, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (46%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Arcata Elementary spends $37,179 per pupil, 125% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Arcata's elementary schools, it stands alongside Pacific Union Elementary (534 students): Arcata Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16:1 vs 19.1:1).
Its district, Arcata Elementary, also runs Sunny Brae Middle (232 students).
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 Arcata Elementary compares
Arcata 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 | 16:1 | ▼ 26% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.2% | ▲ 26% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 240 | top 80% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
240
Bigger than 24% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
16:1
students per teacher
- 26% below state mean
Top 13% in California - lower ratio than 87% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
46.3%
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
$37,179
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.8 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
White 46.0%
Hispanic or Latino 23.8%
Two or More 17.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 5.4%
African American 3.8%
Asian 3.8%
Largest group: White at 46.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.6, Arcata Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Arcata Elementary, which includes Arcata Elementary.
$37,179
Per student
+125%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+124%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.5%
State 52.2%
Federal 16.3%
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 Arcata Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny Brae Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Arcata Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 232
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
Similar elementary schools in Arcata
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Pacific Union Elementary
Standard public school
534 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Coastal Grove Charter
Standard public school
235 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Fuente Nueva Charter
Standard public school
150 students 25:1 students per teacher
Union Street Charter
Standard public school
99 students 19.8:1 students per teacher
Trillium Charter
Standard public school
34 students 17:1 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 (~240 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Arcata Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Arcata Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Arcata 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 Arcata Elementary
How many students attend Arcata Elementary?
Arcata Elementary has 240 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Arcata, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Arcata Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Arcata Elementary is 16:1, which is 26% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 2% 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 Arcata Elementary?
70.2% of students at Arcata Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Arcata Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Arcata Elementary is White at 46.0% of enrollment, in Arcata, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Arcata Elementary?
Arcata Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (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 Arcata Elementary rank among elementary schools in Arcata?
By Resource Investment Index, Arcata Elementary ranks #5 of 6 elementary schools in Arcata, 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 Arcata on the city page.
Is Arcata Elementary a good school?
Arcata Elementary earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 87% of California schools. 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 Arcata Elementary?
Besides Arcata Elementary, Arcata Elementary also operates Sunny Brae Middle (232 students). See the Arcata 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.