Enrollment
624
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bell Gardens, CA
Bell Gardens Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Bell Gardens Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062547003789
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bell Gardens Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #1 of 4
- elementary schools in Bell Gardens · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.6:1
- small classes for California
- 77.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Bell Gardens Elementary has class sizes smaller than 88% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bell Gardens Elementary ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Bell Gardens, CA.
School address
District: Montebello Unified · California
NCES ID 062547003789 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
+39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bell Gardens Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bell Gardens Elementary
Bell Gardens Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Bell Gardens, California, enrolling 624 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 15.6:1, Bell Gardens Elementary is leaner than roughly 88% of California schools and 27% 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 77.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 624 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 2,109 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #101, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (99% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 3/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 416 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
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.
Among Bell Gardens's elementary schools, it stands alongside Cesar E. Chavez Elementary (702 students): Bell Gardens Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.6:1 vs 18.5:1).
Montebello Unified also operates Schurr High (2,121 students) and Bell Gardens High (2,046 students) alongside Bell Gardens 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 Bell Gardens Elementary compares
Bell Gardens 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 | 15.6:1 | ▼ 27% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.4% | ▲ 39% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 624 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
624
Bigger than 75% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% 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
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 27% below state mean
Top 12% in California - lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
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 416 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 98.6%
Asian 0.5%
Two or More 0.5%
White 0.3%
African American 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 98.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 2.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 2.8, Bell Gardens 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 Bell Gardens 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 Bell Gardens 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 | Higher S:T ratio |
| Montebello High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bell Gardens Intermediate | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Greenwood Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bell Gardens 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 in Bell Gardens
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~624 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bell Gardens Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Bell Gardens 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 Bell Gardens Elementary
How many students attend Bell Gardens Elementary?
Bell Gardens Elementary has 624 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bell Gardens, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bell Gardens Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Bell Gardens Elementary is 15.6:1, which is 27% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 1% lower 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 Bell Gardens Elementary?
77.4% of students at Bell Gardens Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bell Gardens Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Bell Gardens Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 98.6% of enrollment, in Bell Gardens, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bell Gardens Elementary?
Bell Gardens Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Bell Gardens Elementary rank among elementary schools in Bell Gardens?
By Resource Investment Index, Bell Gardens Elementary ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Bell Gardens, 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 Bell Gardens on the city page.
Is Bell Gardens Elementary a good school?
Bell Gardens Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% 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 Bell Gardens 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.