Enrollment
362
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Jose, CA
Ben Painter Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Ben Painter Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060231008782
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 96
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ben Painter Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of California schools.
- #18 of 154
- elementary schools in San Jose · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.9:1
- large classes for California
- 50.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Ben Painter Elementary has class sizes larger than 85% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ben Painter Elementary ranks #18 of 154 elementary schools in San Jose, CA.
School address
District: Alum Rock Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 060231008782 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ben Painter Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ben Painter Elementary
Ben Painter Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in San Jose, California, enrolling 362 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.9:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 50.8% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 362 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.
Among 1,179 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #115, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Asian (58%) and Hispanic or Latino (37%) (diversity index 53/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 1.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among San Jose's elementary schools, it stands alongside Easterbrook Discovery (952 students): Ben Painter Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.9:1 vs 22.1:1).
Alum Rock Union Elementary also operates Adelante Dual Language Academy (505 students) and William Sheppard Middle (451 students) alongside Ben Painter 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 Ben Painter Elementary compares
Ben Painter 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 | 25.9:1 | ▲ 20% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.8% | ▼ 8% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 362 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.9:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
362
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
25.9:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 85% in California - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
1.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$18,211
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 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
Asian 58.0%
Hispanic or Latino 36.7%
Two or More 4.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
White 0.3%
Largest group: Asian at 58.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.7, Ben Painter Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alum Rock Union Elementary, which includes Ben Painter Elementary.
$18,211
Per student
+10%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.2%
State 61.3%
Federal 13.5%
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 Ben Painter Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adelante Dual Language Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| William Sheppard Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Linda Vista Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| O. S. Hubbard Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aptitud Community Academy at Goss | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ben Painter Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 505
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 451
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 437
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 427
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 386
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar elementary schools in San Jose
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Easterbrook Discovery
Standard public school
952 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Merritt Trace Elementary
Standard public school
829 students 23:1 students per teacher
Orchard Elementary
Standard public school
740 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Tom Matsumoto Elementary
Standard public school
727 students 24.2:1 students per teacher
Herman (Leonard) Intermediate
Standard public school
723 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Booksin Elementary
Standard public school
715 students 23.8:1 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 (~362 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ben Painter Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Ben Painter Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Alum Rock Union 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 Ben Painter Elementary
How many students attend Ben Painter Elementary?
Ben Painter Elementary has 362 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Jose, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ben Painter Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ben Painter Elementary is 25.9:1, which is 20% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 65% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ben Painter Elementary?
50.8% of students at Ben Painter Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ben Painter Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ben Painter Elementary is Asian at 58.0% of enrollment, in San Jose, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ben Painter Elementary?
Ben Painter Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical 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 Ben Painter Elementary rank among elementary schools in San Jose?
By Resource Investment Index, Ben Painter Elementary ranks #18 of 154 elementary schools in San Jose, 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 San Jose on the city page.
Is Ben Painter Elementary a good school?
Ben Painter Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of 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 Alum Rock Union Elementary?
Besides Ben Painter Elementary, Alum Rock Union Elementary also operates Adelante Dual Language Academy (505 students), William Sheppard Middle (451 students), and Linda Vista Elementary (437 students). See the Alum Rock Union 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.