Enrollment
151
California · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 060498000481
Big Springs Elementary — Montague, CA
Federal NCES profile for Big Springs Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 18/100.
👥 Class size 24
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
The verdict
Big Springs Elementary earns an F Resource Investment Index (18/100), even as it posts class sizes smaller than 77% of California schools.
- F
- Resource Index · 18/100
- 19.1:1
- small classes for California
- 61.4%
- free-lunch eligible
- 151
- students enrolled
School address
District: Big Springs Union Elementary · California
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.1:1
vs 21.6:1 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
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Big Springs Elementary reports 151 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 8.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 19.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 12% below the California state mean of 21.6:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 22% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 61.4% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 11% above the California average and 19% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 47.7% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Big Springs Union Elementary spends $14,086 per pupil district-wide, below the California average of $16,509 and below the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 32.6% from local sources (property taxes), 54.0% from the state, and 13.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Big Springs Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against California state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.1:1 | ▼ 12% | 21.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.4% | ▲ 11% | 55.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 151 | top 14% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
19 smaller classes than 19% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
151 larger than 15% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
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
19.1:1
students per teacher
— 12% below state mean
Top 23% in California — lower ratio than 77% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
47.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$14,086
per pupil, district-wide
— below California avg of $16,509
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
Enrollment 151 Top 14% in California — larger than 86% of 10,006 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 8.0
Students per teacher 19.1:1 -12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 61.4% +11% vs state
NCES ID 060498000481
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.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 47.7%
In-school suspensions 3
Out-of-school suspensions 0
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 28.2:1 students per teacher
Delphic Elementary
Standard public school
61 students 19:1 students per teacher
Willow Creek Elementary
Standard public school
44 students 22:1 students per teacher
Bogus Elementary
Standard public school
20 students 16:1 students per teacher
Little Shasta Elementary
Standard public school
18 students 6:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Before you act on this record
Treat this page as the federal baseline — then verify locally.
- Compare Big Springs Elementary side-by-side with another school you're considering on the same NCES measures. Compare schools
- Read the district context — spending per pupil, staffing, and equity ranking are district-level decisions that shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment windows, programs, and boundaries with the school directly — federal data lags the current school year. Choosing guide
Figures are the school's reported federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) — coverage varies by entity type, and PlainSchools does not rate or rank schools.
Frequently asked questions about Big Springs Elementary
How many students attend Big Springs Elementary?
Big Springs Elementary has 151 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Montague, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Big Springs Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Big Springs Elementary is 19.1:1, which is 12% lower than the California average of 21.6:1 and 22% 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%. The school serves a diverse student body in Montague, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Big Springs Elementary?
Big Springs Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.
Is Big Springs Elementary a good school?
Big Springs Elementary earns an F Resource Investment Index (18/100), even as it posts class sizes smaller than 77% of California schools. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.