Enrollment
730
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Uniondale, NY
California Avenue Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for California Avenue Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 362928003938
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
California Avenue Elementary School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median.
- #5 of 5
- schools in Uniondale · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 12.2:1
- students per teacher
- 61.1%
- free-lunch eligible
California Avenue Elementary School has class sizes near the New York median. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, California Avenue Elementary School ranks #5 of 5 schools in Uniondale, NY.
School address
District: Uniondale Union Free School District · New York
NCES ID 362928003938 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
60.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.2:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.1%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How California Avenue Elementary School compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at California Avenue Elementary School
California Avenue Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Uniondale, New York, enrolling 730 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.2:1 puts it in the larger third of New York schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 61.1% lands close to the New York typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 730 puts it in the larger third of New York schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 4,801 New York schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 515 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New York schools statewide, it ranks #452, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (74%) and African American (23%) (diversity index 40/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 730 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Uniondale Union Free School District spends $33,269 per pupil, 26% above the New York average, a better-resourced district than most.
Uniondale Union Free School District also operates Uniondale High School (2,106 students) and Turtle Hook Middle School (637 students) alongside California Avenue Elementary School.
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 California Avenue Elementary School compares
California Avenue Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against New York and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New York | New York avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.2:1 | ▲ 3% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.1% | ▲ 9% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 730 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.2:1
Leaner classes than 74% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
730
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% above the New York average of 56.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.2:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 62% in New York - lower ratio than 38% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
40.4%
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
$33,269
per pupil, district-wide
- above New York avg of $26,410
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 730 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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 73.7%
African American 22.9%
Two or More 1.2%
Asian 1.0%
White 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 73.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.4, California Avenue Elementary School is less mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Uniondale Union Free School District, which includes California Avenue Elementary School.
$33,269
Per student
+26%
vs New York
Avg $26,410
+101%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.3%
State 32.6%
Federal 11.1%
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 California Avenue Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uniondale High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Turtle Hook Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lawrence Road Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northern Parkway Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Walnut Street Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to California Avenue Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,106
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 637
- Students per teacher
- 8.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 623
- Students per teacher
- 8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 612
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 505
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New York, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~730 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on California Avenue Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare California Avenue Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Uniondale Union Free School District'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 California Avenue Elementary School
How many students attend California Avenue Elementary School?
California Avenue Elementary School has 730 students enrolled. It is a public school in Uniondale, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at California Avenue Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at California Avenue Elementary School is 12.2:1, which is 3% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 22% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at California Avenue Elementary School?
61.1% of students at California Avenue Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of California Avenue Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at California Avenue Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 73.7% of enrollment, in Uniondale, NY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for California Avenue Elementary School?
California Avenue Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (lower 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 California Avenue Elementary School rank among schools in Uniondale?
By Resource Investment Index, California Avenue Elementary School ranks #5 of 5 schools in Uniondale, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Uniondale on the city page.
Is California Avenue Elementary School a good school?
California Avenue Elementary School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median. 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 Uniondale Union Free School District?
Besides California Avenue Elementary School, Uniondale Union Free School District also operates Uniondale High School (2,106 students), Turtle Hook Middle School (637 students), and Lawrence Road Middle School (623 students). See the Uniondale Union Free School District 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.