Enrollment
455
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Modesto, CA
Bernard L. Hughes Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Bernard L. Hughes Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 12/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061269009536
👥 S:T ratio 9
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 9
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bernard L. Hughes Elementary earns 12/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #47 of 53
- elementary schools in Modesto · Resource Index
- 12
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.8:1
- students per teacher
- 59.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Bernard L. Hughes Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bernard L. Hughes Elementary ranks #47 of 53 elementary schools in Modesto, CA.
School address
District: Empire Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 061269009536 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bernard L. Hughes Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bernard L. Hughes Elementary
Bernard L. Hughes Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Modesto, California, enrolling 455 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 22.8:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 59.8% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 455 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,775 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,590, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (64%) and White (13%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 455 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 66.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Modesto's elementary schools, it stands alongside Great Valley Academy (972 students): Bernard L. Hughes Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.8:1 vs 27.8:1).
Empire Union Elementary also operates Norman N. Glick Middle (602 students) and Christine Sipherd Elementary (505 students) alongside Bernard L. Hughes 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 Bernard L. Hughes Elementary compares
Bernard L. Hughes 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 | 22.8:1 | ▲ 6% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.8% | ▲ 8% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 455 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.8:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
455
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
59.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% 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
22.8:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 61% in California - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
66.4%
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
$15,755
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 455 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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 63.5%
White 12.7%
Asian 10.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 5.3%
African American 4.8%
Two or More 3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 63.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.4, Bernard L. Hughes Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Empire Union Elementary, which includes Bernard L. Hughes Elementary.
$15,755
Per student
-5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.3%
State 58.5%
Federal 11.2%
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 Bernard L. Hughes Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norman N. Glick Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Christine Sipherd Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Capistrano Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Empire Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Alice N. Stroud Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bernard L. Hughes Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 602
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 505
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 7/100
- Enrollment
- 469
- Students per teacher
- 24.7:1
- Resource Index
- 9/100
- Enrollment
- 384
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 379
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
Similar elementary schools in Modesto
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Great Valley Academy
Standard public school
972 students 27.8:1 students per teacher
Great Valley Academy - Salida
Standard public school
927 students 27.3:1 students per teacher
Bret Harte Elementary
Standard public school
867 students 23.4:1 students per teacher
Fairview Elementary
Standard public school
786 students 27.1:1 students per teacher
Franklin Elementary
Standard public school
777 students 25.1:1 students per teacher
Freedom Elementary
Standard public school
713 students 25.5:1 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 (~455 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bernard L. Hughes Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Bernard L. Hughes Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Empire 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 Bernard L. Hughes Elementary
How many students attend Bernard L. Hughes Elementary?
Bernard L. Hughes Elementary has 455 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Modesto, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bernard L. Hughes Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Bernard L. Hughes Elementary is 22.8:1, which is 6% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 45% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bernard L. Hughes Elementary?
59.8% of students at Bernard L. Hughes Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bernard L. Hughes Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Bernard L. Hughes Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 63.5% of enrollment, in Modesto, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bernard L. Hughes Elementary?
Bernard L. Hughes Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 12/100 (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 Bernard L. Hughes Elementary rank among elementary schools in Modesto?
By Resource Investment Index, Bernard L. Hughes Elementary ranks #47 of 53 elementary schools in Modesto, 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 Modesto on the city page.
Is Bernard L. Hughes Elementary a good school?
Bernard L. Hughes Elementary earns 12/100 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 Empire Union Elementary?
Besides Bernard L. Hughes Elementary, Empire Union Elementary also operates Norman N. Glick Middle (602 students), Christine Sipherd Elementary (505 students), and Capistrano Elementary (469 students). See the Empire 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.