Enrollment
867
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Modesto, CA
Bret Harte Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Bret Harte Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062513003727
👥 S:T ratio 6
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bret Harte Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #19 of 53
- elementary schools in Modesto · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.4:1
- students per teacher
- 79.2%
- 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 #19 of 53 elementary schools in Modesto, CA.
School address
District: Modesto City Elementary · California
NCES ID 062513003727 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
79.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+43% 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 high-poverty, large elementary school in Modesto, California, enrolling 867 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.4:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 79.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 867 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,308 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #608.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 11/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 49.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Modesto's elementary schools, it stands alongside Great Valley Academy (972 students): Bret Harte Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (23.4:1 vs 27.8:1).
Modesto City Elementary also operates Roosevelt Junior High (818 students) and Fairview Elementary (786 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 | 23.4:1 | ▲ 9% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 79.2% | ▲ 43% | 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
23.4:1
Leaner classes than 7% 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
79.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% 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
23.4:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 66% in California - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
49.0%
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.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 94.5%
Two or More 2.5%
White 1.8%
Asian 0.8%
African American 0.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 94.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 10.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 10.6, Bret Harte Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
How Bret Harte Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roosevelt Junior High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fairview Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Franklin Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| La Loma Junior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mark Twain Junior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower 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
- 818
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 786
- Students per teacher
- 27.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 777
- Students per teacher
- 25.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 705
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 658
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar elementary schools in Modesto
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Great Valley Academy
Standard public school
972 students 27.8:1 students per teacher
Great Valley Academy - Salida
Standard public school
927 students 27.3:1 students per teacher
Fairview Elementary
Standard public school
786 students 27.1:1 students per teacher
Franklin Elementary
Standard public school
777 students 25.1:1 students per teacher
Freedom Elementary
Standard public school
713 students 25.5:1 students per teacher
Hart-Ransom Elementary
Standard public school
705 students 21.4:1 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 (~23.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bret Harte Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Bret Harte Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Modesto City 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 Bret Harte Elementary
How many students attend Bret Harte Elementary?
Bret Harte Elementary has 867 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Modesto, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bret Harte Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Bret Harte Elementary is 23.4:1, which is 9% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 49% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bret Harte Elementary?
79.2% 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 94.5% of enrollment, in Modesto, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bret Harte Elementary?
Bret Harte Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (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 Bret Harte Elementary rank among elementary schools in Modesto?
By Resource Investment Index, Bret Harte Elementary ranks #19 of 53 elementary schools in Modesto, 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 Modesto on the city page.
Is Bret Harte Elementary a good school?
Bret Harte Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools. 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 Modesto City Elementary?
Besides Bret Harte Elementary, Modesto City Elementary also operates Roosevelt Junior High (818 students), Fairview Elementary (786 students), and Franklin Elementary (777 students). See the Modesto City Elementary 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.