Enrollment
412
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Long Beach, CA
Burcham Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Burcham Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062250002703
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 39
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Burcham Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #15 of 47
- elementary schools in Long Beach · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 34.3:1
- large classes for California
- 28.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Burcham Elementary has class sizes larger than 98% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Burcham Elementary ranks #15 of 47 elementary schools in Long Beach, CA.
School address
District: Long Beach Unified · California
NCES ID 062250002703 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
34.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+60% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Burcham Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Burcham Elementary
Burcham Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Long Beach, California, enrolling 412 students.
Class loads run heavy: 34.3:1 is larger than about 98% of California schools and 60% 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 28.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 412 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 1,121 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #338.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (47%) and White (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 312 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 15.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Long Beach's elementary schools, it stands alongside Muir K-8 (1,029 students): Burcham Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (34.3:1 vs 25.1:1).
Long Beach Unified also operates Polytechnic High (3,890 students) and Millikan High (3,408 students) alongside Burcham 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 Burcham Elementary compares
Burcham 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 | 34.3:1 | ▲ 60% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.3% | ▼ 49% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 412 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
34.3:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
412
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% 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
34.3:1
students per teacher
- 60% above state mean
Top 98% in California - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
24.3%
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
$16,028
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.3 FTE
Per 312 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 46.5%
White 28.7%
Two or More 9.5%
Asian 7.3%
African American 6.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 46.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.2, Burcham Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Long Beach Unified, which includes Burcham Elementary.
$16,028
Per student
-3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.5%
State 60.1%
Federal 15.4%
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 Burcham Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polytechnic High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Millikan High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wilson High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lakewood High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jordan High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Burcham Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,890
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 3,408
- Students per teacher
- 24.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 3,349
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,305
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 2,272
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar elementary schools in Long Beach
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Muir K-8
Standard public school
1,029 students 25.1:1 students per teacher
Cubberley K-8
Standard public school
951 students 25:1 students per teacher
Grant Elementary
Standard public school
951 students 25.7:1 students per teacher
Newcomb Academy
Standard public school
914 students 25.4:1 students per teacher
Longfellow Elementary
Standard public school
904 students 27.4:1 students per teacher
Tincher Preparatory
Standard public school
837 students 25.4:1 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 (~412 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~34.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Burcham Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Burcham Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Long Beach 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 Burcham Elementary
How many students attend Burcham Elementary?
Burcham Elementary has 412 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Long Beach, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Burcham Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Burcham Elementary is 34.3:1, which is 60% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 118% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Burcham Elementary?
28.3% of students at Burcham Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Burcham Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Burcham Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 46.5% of enrollment, in Long Beach, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Burcham Elementary?
Burcham Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Burcham Elementary rank among elementary schools in Long Beach?
By Resource Investment Index, Burcham Elementary ranks #15 of 47 elementary schools in Long Beach, 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 Long Beach on the city page.
Is Burcham Elementary a good school?
Burcham Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of California schools. 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 Long Beach Unified?
Besides Burcham Elementary, Long Beach Unified also operates Polytechnic High (3,890 students), Millikan High (3,408 students), and Wilson High (3,349 students). See the Long Beach 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.