Enrollment
867
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bakersfield, CA
Bessie E. Owens Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Bessie E. Owens Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060363000313
👥 S:T ratio 13
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bessie E. Owens Elementary earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #50 of 97
- elementary schools in Bakersfield · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.7:1
- students per teacher
- 89.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Bessie E. Owens Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bessie E. Owens Elementary ranks #50 of 97 elementary schools in Bakersfield, CA.
School address
District: Bakersfield City · California
NCES ID 060363000313 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bessie E. Owens Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bessie E. Owens Elementary
Bessie E. Owens Elementary is a high-poverty, large elementary school in Bakersfield, California, enrolling 867 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.
Economic need is high: 89.2% of students qualify for free meals, 61% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 867 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 915 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #390.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Bakersfield's elementary schools, it stands alongside Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8 (1,151 students): Bessie E. Owens Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.7:1 vs 25.6:1).
Bakersfield City also operates Curran Middle (973 students) and Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary (960 students) alongside Bessie E. Owens 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 Bessie E. Owens Elementary compares
Bessie E. Owens 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 | 89.2% | ▲ 61% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 867 | top 15% | - | - |
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.
867
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
89.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 61% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
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
47.8%
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
$17,295
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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: 0.6 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 84.1%
African American 9.4%
White 5.7%
Asian 0.6%
Two or More 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 84.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.1, Bessie E. Owens Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bakersfield City, which includes Bessie E. Owens Elementary.
$17,295
Per student
+5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 6.5%
State 77.8%
Federal 15.7%
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 Bessie E. Owens Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curran Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Voorhies Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Walter Stiern Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Horace Mann Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bessie E. Owens Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 973
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 960
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 915
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 891
- Students per teacher
- 25.5:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 870
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar elementary schools in Bakersfield
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8
Standard public school
1,151 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Veterans Elementary
Standard public school
1,002 students 27.8:1 students per teacher
Douglas J. Miller Elementary
Standard public school
994 students 29.2:1 students per teacher
Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary
Standard public school
960 students 24:1 students per teacher
Berkshire Elementary
Standard public school
932 students 28.2:1 students per teacher
Patriot Elementary
Standard public school
931 students 23.3:1 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 (~867 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bessie E. Owens Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Bessie E. Owens Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Bakersfield City'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 Bessie E. Owens Elementary
How many students attend Bessie E. Owens Elementary?
Bessie E. Owens Elementary has 867 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bakersfield, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bessie E. Owens Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Bessie E. Owens 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 Bessie E. Owens Elementary?
89.2% of students at Bessie E. Owens Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bessie E. Owens Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Bessie E. Owens Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 84.1% of enrollment, in Bakersfield, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bessie E. Owens Elementary?
Bessie E. Owens Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 Bessie E. Owens Elementary rank among elementary schools in Bakersfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Bessie E. Owens Elementary ranks #50 of 97 elementary schools in Bakersfield, 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 Bakersfield on the city page.
Is Bessie E. Owens Elementary a good school?
Bessie E. Owens Elementary earns 28/100 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 Bakersfield City?
Besides Bessie E. Owens Elementary, Bakersfield City also operates Curran Middle (973 students), Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary (960 students), and Voorhies Elementary (915 students). See the Bakersfield City 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.