Elementary school (grades K-5) · Santa Maria, CA

Bonita Elementary

Federal NCES profile for Bonita 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 060558000502
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10028/100
👥 S:T ratio
14
🌟 Gifted program
70
📋 Attendance
0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Bonita Elementary earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.

#11 of 24
elementary schools in Santa Maria · Resource Index
28
Resource Index · Lower
21.4:1
students per teacher
90.7%
free-lunch eligible

Bonita Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Bonita Elementary ranks #11 of 24 elementary schools in Santa Maria, CA.

School address

Santa Maria, CA 93458
District: Santa Maria-Bonita · California

NCES ID 060558000502 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

+5 students YoY

Bonita Elementary held near 545 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+5 headcount).

Teacher FTE added 25.2 → 28.0 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

+5 students YoY 060558000502 · Santa Maria, CA Elementary · MID · TRAD

535 enr · 21.4:1 · 90.7% lunch · RII 28

Nearest enrollment peer: Jimenez Roberto and Dr. Francisco Elementary (1,177 students)

Bonita Elementary held near 545 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+5 headcount). Teacher FTE added 25.2 → 28.0 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · California schools → · Find another →

Bonita Elementary in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Bonita Elementary reports 535 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Bonita Elementary compares

Bonita Elementary held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs California and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs California California avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 21.4:1 ▼ 0% 21.5:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 90.7% ▲ 63% 55.5% 51.7%
Enrollment 535 top 40% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

21.4:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
535
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
90.7%
free-lunch eligible - 63% 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
21.4:1
students per teacher - 0% below state mean
Top 47% in California - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
42.2%
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
$16,207
per pupil, district-wide - below California avg of $18,665
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
12
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

Hispanic or Latino 98.9%
White 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Two or More 0.4%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 98.9% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 2.2/100

Simpson diversity index - at 2.2, Bonita Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

District finance for Santa Maria-Bonita reports $16,207 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Bonita Elementary Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Jimenez Roberto and Dr. Francisco Elementary Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Bruce (Robert) Elementary Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Alvin Elementary Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Fesler (Isaac) Junior High Larger Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Bonita Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Santa Maria-Bonita · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar elementary schools in Santa Maria

6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.

Jimenez Roberto and Dr. Francisco Elementary
Standard public school
1,177 students 29.4:1 students per teacher
Bruce (Robert) Elementary
Standard public school
1,050 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Alvin Elementary
Standard public school
998 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary
Standard public school
917 students 25.5:1 students per teacher
Rice (William) Elementary
Standard public school
887 students 24:1 students per teacher
Miller (Isaac) Elementary
Standard public school
883 students 25.2:1 students per teacher

Nationwide elementary schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~535 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.4:1)

Frequently asked questions about Bonita Elementary

How many students attend Bonita Elementary?

Bonita Elementary has 535 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Santa Maria, CA. CCD year-over-year: 540 (2022-23) → 545 (2023-24), nearly flat (+5).

What is the student-teacher ratio at Bonita Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Bonita Elementary is 21.4:1, which is 0% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 36% 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 Bonita Elementary?

90.7% of students at Bonita Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bonita Elementary?

The largest demographic group at Bonita Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 98.9% of enrollment, in Santa Maria, CA.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Bonita Elementary?

Bonita Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Bonita Elementary rank among elementary schools in Santa Maria?

By Resource Investment Index, Bonita Elementary ranks #11 of 24 elementary schools in Santa Maria, 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 Santa Maria on the city page.

What other schools are in Santa Maria-Bonita?

Besides Bonita Elementary, Santa Maria-Bonita also operates Jimenez Roberto and Dr. Francisco Elementary (1,177 students), Bruce (Robert) Elementary (1,050 students), and Alvin Elementary (998 students). See the Santa Maria-Bonita district page for the complete list.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Compiled from official source data by .