Enrollment
151
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Montague, CA
Big Springs Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Big Springs Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 18/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060498000481
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Big Springs Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 74% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #3 of 6
- elementary schools in Montague · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.9:1
- small classes for California
- 61.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Big Springs Elementary has class sizes smaller than 74% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Big Springs Elementary ranks #3 of 6 elementary schools in Montague, CA.
School address
District: Big Springs Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 060498000481 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
+11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Big Springs Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Big Springs Elementary
Big Springs Elementary is a higher-need, small elementary school in Montague, California, enrolling 151 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 61.4% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 151 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 396 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #353, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and Asian (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Montague's elementary schools, it stands alongside Montague Elementary (178 students): Big Springs Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.9:1 vs 29.7:1).
Big Springs Union Elementary operates only this one school, so Big Springs Elementary has no district-mates to compare against locally.
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 Big Springs Elementary compares
Big Springs 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 | 18.9:1 | ▼ 12% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.4% | ▲ 11% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 151 | top 86% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.9:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
151
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% 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
18.9:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 26% in California - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
47.7%
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
$14,086
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 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
White 44.4%
Asian 28.5%
Hispanic or Latino 12.6%
Two or More 12.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.0%
Largest group: White at 44.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.9, Big Springs Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Big Springs Union Elementary, which includes Big Springs Elementary.
$14,086
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.6%
State 54.0%
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.
Similar elementary schools in Montague
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Montague Elementary
Standard public school
178 students 29.7:1 students per teacher
Delphic Elementary
Standard public school
61 students 20.3:1 students per teacher
Willow Creek Elementary
Standard public school
44 students 22:1 students per teacher
Bogus Elementary
Standard public school
20 students 20:1 students per teacher
Little Shasta Elementary
Standard public school
18 students 9:1 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 (~151 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Big Springs Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Big Springs Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Big Springs 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 Big Springs Elementary
How many students attend Big Springs Elementary?
Big Springs Elementary has 151 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Montague, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Big Springs Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Big Springs Elementary is 18.9:1, which is 12% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 20% 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 Big Springs Elementary?
61.4% of students at Big Springs Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Big Springs Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Big Springs Elementary is White at 44.4% of enrollment, in Montague, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Big Springs Elementary?
Big Springs Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (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 Big Springs Elementary rank among elementary schools in Montague?
By Resource Investment Index, Big Springs Elementary ranks #3 of 6 elementary schools in Montague, 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 Montague on the city page.
Is Big Springs Elementary a good school?
Big Springs Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 74% of California schools. It is also more 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 Big Springs Union Elementary?
None reported; Big Springs Union Elementary operates only Big Springs Elementary as a public school district in NCES's records.
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.