Enrollment
260
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · City of Commerce, CA
Bandini Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Bandini Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062547003788
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 65
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bandini Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in City of Commerce · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.3:1
- small classes for California
- 66.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Bandini Elementary has class sizes smaller than 82% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bandini Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in City of Commerce, CA.
School address
District: Montebello Unified · California
NCES ID 062547003788 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bandini Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bandini Elementary
Bandini Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in City of Commerce, California, enrolling 260 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 17.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 66.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 260 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 877 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #113.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (99% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 2/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 173 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Montebello Unified spends $20,966 per pupil, 27% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 24.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Montebello Unified also operates Schurr High (2,121 students) and Bell Gardens High (2,046 students) alongside Bandini 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 Bandini Elementary compares
Bandini 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 | 17.3:1 | ▼ 20% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.7% | ▲ 20% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 260 | top 78% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.3:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
260
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% 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
17.3:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 18% in California - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
36.9%
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
$20,966
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 173 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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 99.2%
White 0.4%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 99.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 1.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 1.6, Bandini Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Montebello Unified, which includes Bandini Elementary.
$20,966
Per student
+27%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.8%
State 57.9%
Federal 24.4%
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 Bandini Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schurr High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bell Gardens High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Montebello High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bell Gardens Intermediate | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Greenwood Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bandini Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,121
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,046
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,907
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 790
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 746
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
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 (~260 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bandini Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Bandini Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Montebello 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 Bandini Elementary
How many students attend Bandini Elementary?
Bandini Elementary has 260 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in City of Commerce, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bandini Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Bandini Elementary is 17.3:1, which is 20% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 10% 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 Bandini Elementary?
66.7% of students at Bandini Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bandini Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Bandini Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 99.2% of enrollment, in City of Commerce, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bandini Elementary?
Bandini Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical 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 Bandini Elementary rank among public schools in City of Commerce?
By Resource Investment Index, Bandini Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in City of Commerce, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in City of Commerce on the city page.
Is Bandini Elementary a good school?
Bandini Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% 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 Montebello Unified?
Besides Bandini Elementary, Montebello Unified also operates Schurr High (2,121 students), Bell Gardens High (2,046 students), and Montebello High (1,907 students). See the Montebello 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.