Enrollment
537
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Burbank, CA
Bret Harte Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Bret Harte Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060645000568
👥 S:T ratio 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bret Harte Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #5 of 11
- elementary schools in Burbank · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.4:1
- students per teacher
- 19.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Bret Harte Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bret Harte Elementary ranks #5 of 11 elementary schools in Burbank, CA.
School address
District: Burbank Unified · California
NCES ID 060645000568 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bret Harte Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bret Harte Elementary
Bret Harte Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Burbank, California, enrolling 537 students.
At 22.4:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 19.3% free-meal eligibility runs 65% below the California average.
With 537 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,270 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #279.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (39%) and White (36%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Burbank's elementary schools, it stands alongside Thomas Jefferson Elementary (758 students): Bret Harte Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.4:1 vs 27.1:1).
Burbank Unified also operates Burbank High (2,457 students) and Burroughs High (2,283 students) alongside Bret Harte 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 Bret Harte Elementary compares
Bret Harte 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 | 22.4:1 | ▲ 4% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.3% | ▼ 65% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 537 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.4:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
537
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
22.4:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 57% in California - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
21.2%
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
$14,677
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
1
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 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 39.4%
White 35.6%
Two or More 13.4%
Asian 10.1%
African American 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 39.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.0, Bret Harte Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Burbank Unified, which includes Bret Harte Elementary.
$14,677
Per student
-11%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.7%
State 52.3%
Federal 11.0%
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 Bret Harte Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burbank High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Burroughs High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| John Muir Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Luther Burbank Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dolores Huerta Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bret Harte Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,457
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,283
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,353
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,030
- Students per teacher
- 27.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 931
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar elementary schools in Burbank
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Thomas Jefferson Elementary
Standard public school
758 students 27.1:1 students per teacher
Joaquin Miller Elementary
Standard public school
730 students 23.5:1 students per teacher
Theodore Roosevelt Elementary
Standard public school
591 students 26.9:1 students per teacher
Ralph Emerson Elementary
Standard public school
548 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
R. L. Stevenson Elementary
Standard public school
521 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
William Mckinley Elementary
Standard public school
440 students 23.2:1 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 (~537 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bret Harte Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Bret Harte Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Burbank Unified'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 Bret Harte Elementary
How many students attend Bret Harte Elementary?
Bret Harte Elementary has 537 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Burbank, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bret Harte Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Bret Harte Elementary is 22.4:1, which is 4% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 43% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bret Harte Elementary?
19.3% of students at Bret Harte Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bret Harte Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Bret Harte Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 39.4% of enrollment, in Burbank, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bret Harte Elementary?
Bret Harte Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical 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 Bret Harte Elementary rank among elementary schools in Burbank?
By Resource Investment Index, Bret Harte Elementary ranks #5 of 11 elementary schools in Burbank, 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 Burbank on the city page.
Is Bret Harte Elementary a good school?
Bret Harte Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Burbank Unified?
Besides Bret Harte Elementary, Burbank Unified also operates Burbank High (2,457 students), Burroughs High (2,283 students), and John Muir Middle (1,353 students). See the Burbank Unified 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.