Enrollment
456
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Simi Valley, CA
Atherwood Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Atherwood 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 063684006248
👥 S:T ratio 13
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Atherwood Elementary earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #13 of 19
- elementary schools in Simi Valley · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.7:1
- students per teacher
- 23.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Atherwood Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Atherwood Elementary ranks #13 of 19 elementary schools in Simi Valley, CA.
School address
District: Simi Valley Unified · California
NCES ID 063684006248 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
-58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Atherwood Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Atherwood Elementary
Atherwood Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Simi Valley, California, enrolling 456 students.
At 21.7:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 23.1% free-meal eligibility runs 58% below the California average.
With 456 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,207 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,064, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and Hispanic or Latino (35%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1824 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Simi Valley's elementary schools, it stands alongside Vista Elementary (567 students): Atherwood Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.7:1 vs 22.7:1).
Simi Valley Unified also operates Simi Valley High (1,910 students) and Royal High (1,835 students) alongside Atherwood 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 Atherwood Elementary compares
Atherwood 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 | 21.7:1 | ▲ 1% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.1% | ▼ 58% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 456 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.7:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
456
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 58% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
21.7:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 50% in California - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
38.2%
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
$13,320
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
Counselors0.3 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.5 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 49.1%
Hispanic or Latino 35.1%
Asian 9.4%
Two or More 5.0%
African American 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 49.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.4, Atherwood Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Simi Valley Unified, which includes Atherwood Elementary.
$13,320
Per student
-19%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.6%
State 46.3%
Federal 8.1%
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 Atherwood Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simi Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Royal High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Valley View Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hillside Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Santa Susana High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Atherwood Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,910
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,835
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,329
- Students per teacher
- 30.2:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,138
- Students per teacher
- 29.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,033
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar elementary schools in Simi Valley
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Vista Elementary
Standard public school
567 students 22.7:1 students per teacher
Hollow Hills Elementary
Standard public school
560 students 21.5:1 students per teacher
Township Elementary
Standard public school
521 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
Berylwood Elementary
Standard public school
457 students 21.8:1 students per teacher
Wood Ranch Elementary
Standard public school
452 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Big Springs Elementary
Standard public school
441 students 24.5:1 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 (~456 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Atherwood Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Atherwood Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Simi Valley 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 Atherwood Elementary
How many students attend Atherwood Elementary?
Atherwood Elementary has 456 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Simi Valley, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Atherwood Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Atherwood Elementary is 21.7:1, which is 1% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 38% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Atherwood Elementary?
23.1% of students at Atherwood Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Atherwood Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Atherwood Elementary is White at 49.1% of enrollment, in Simi Valley, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Atherwood Elementary?
Atherwood Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (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 Atherwood Elementary rank among elementary schools in Simi Valley?
By Resource Investment Index, Atherwood Elementary ranks #13 of 19 elementary schools in Simi Valley, 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 Simi Valley on the city page.
Is Atherwood Elementary a good school?
Atherwood Elementary earns 22/100 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 Simi Valley Unified?
Besides Atherwood Elementary, Simi Valley Unified also operates Simi Valley High (1,910 students), Royal High (1,835 students), and Valley View Middle (1,329 students). See the Simi Valley 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.