Enrollment
804
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Monterey Park, CA
Brightwood Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Brightwood Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060015310934
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Brightwood Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of California schools.
- #3 of 8
- elementary schools in Monterey Park · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 26.8:1
- large classes for California
- 28.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Brightwood Elementary has class sizes larger than 89% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Brightwood Elementary ranks #3 of 8 elementary schools in Monterey Park, CA.
School address
District: Alhambra Unified · California
NCES ID 060015310934 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
-48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Brightwood Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Brightwood Elementary
Brightwood Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Monterey Park, California, enrolling 804 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.8:1 is larger than about 89% of California schools and 25% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 28.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 804 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,193 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #126, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Asian (55%) and Hispanic or Latino (37%) (diversity index 56/100).
13.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Monterey Park's elementary schools, it stands alongside Monterey Highlands Elementary (917 students): Brightwood Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (26.8:1 vs 24.8:1).
Alhambra Unified also operates Mark Keppel High (2,201 students) and Alhambra High (2,056 students) alongside Brightwood 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 Brightwood Elementary compares
Brightwood 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 | 26.8:1 | ▲ 25% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.6% | ▼ 48% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 804 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.8:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
804
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
26.8:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 89% in California - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
13.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$16,930
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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
Asian 55.2%
Hispanic or Latino 36.7%
Two or More 5.6%
White 1.4%
African American 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Asian at 55.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.7, Brightwood Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alhambra Unified, which includes Brightwood Elementary.
$16,930
Per student
+3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.5%
State 63.4%
Federal 14.1%
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 Brightwood Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Keppel High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Alhambra High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Gabriel High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Martha Baldwin Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Monterey Highlands Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Brightwood Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,201
- Students per teacher
- 26.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,056
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,761
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 923
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 917
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar elementary schools in Monterey Park
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Monterey Highlands Elementary
Standard public school
917 students 24.8:1 students per teacher
Repetto Elementary
Standard public school
739 students 28.4:1 students per teacher
Ynez Elementary
Standard public school
695 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
Monterey Vista Elementary
Standard public school
542 students 25.8:1 students per teacher
Bella Vista Elementary
Standard public school
530 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
Hillcrest Elementary
Standard public school
439 students 23.1:1 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 (~804 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Brightwood Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Brightwood Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Alhambra 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 Brightwood Elementary
How many students attend Brightwood Elementary?
Brightwood Elementary has 804 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Monterey Park, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Brightwood Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Brightwood Elementary is 26.8:1, which is 25% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 71% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Brightwood Elementary?
28.6% of students at Brightwood Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Brightwood Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Brightwood Elementary is Asian at 55.2% of enrollment, in Monterey Park, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Brightwood Elementary?
Brightwood Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Brightwood Elementary rank among elementary schools in Monterey Park?
By Resource Investment Index, Brightwood Elementary ranks #3 of 8 elementary schools in Monterey Park, 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 Monterey Park on the city page.
Is Brightwood Elementary a good school?
Brightwood Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of 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 Alhambra Unified?
Besides Brightwood Elementary, Alhambra Unified also operates Mark Keppel High (2,201 students), Alhambra High (2,056 students), and San Gabriel High (1,761 students). See the Alhambra 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.