Enrollment
804
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Hesperia, CA
Carmel Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Carmel Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 8/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060001409477
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 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
Carmel Elementary earns 8/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of California schools.
- #14 of 16
- elementary schools in Hesperia · Resource Index
- 8
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.9:1
- large classes for California
- 65.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Carmel Elementary has class sizes larger than 85% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carmel Elementary ranks #14 of 16 elementary schools in Hesperia, CA.
School address
District: Hesperia Unified · California
NCES ID 060001409477 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carmel Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carmel Elementary
Carmel Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Hesperia, California, enrolling 804 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.9:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 65.2% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 804 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 100% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,486 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,447, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (79%) and White (18%) (diversity index 34/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 804 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 56.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Hesperia's elementary schools, it stands alongside Mission Crest Elementary (989 students): Carmel Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (25.9:1 vs 28.3:1).
Hesperia Unified also operates Hesperia High (2,405 students) and Oak Hills High (2,370 students) alongside Carmel 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 Carmel Elementary compares
Carmel 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 | 25.9:1 | ▲ 20% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.2% | ▲ 17% | 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
25.9:1
Leaner classes than 4% 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
65.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
25.9:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 85% in California - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
56.7%
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
$13,688
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 804 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.9 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
Hispanic or Latino 79.2%
White 17.5%
African American 1.4%
Two or More 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Asian 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 79.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.2, Carmel Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hesperia Unified, which includes Carmel Elementary.
$13,688
Per student
-17%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.0%
State 73.1%
Federal 15.9%
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 Carmel Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hesperia High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oak Hills High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sultana High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hesperia Junior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ranchero Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carmel Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,405
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 2,370
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,098
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 1,228
- Students per teacher
- 25.1:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 1,140
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
Similar elementary schools in Hesperia
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Mission Crest Elementary
Standard public school
989 students 28.3:1 students per teacher
Maple Elementary
Standard public school
988 students 26.7:1 students per teacher
Krystal School of Science Math & Technology
Standard public school
912 students 25.3:1 students per teacher
Lime Street Elementary
Standard public school
887 students 25.3:1 students per teacher
Mesquite Trails Elementary
Standard public school
882 students 26.7:1 students per teacher
Cottonwood Elementary
Standard public school
868 students 23.5:1 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)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carmel Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Carmel Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Hesperia 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 Carmel Elementary
How many students attend Carmel Elementary?
Carmel Elementary has 804 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Hesperia, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carmel Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Carmel Elementary is 25.9:1, which is 20% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 65% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Carmel Elementary?
65.2% of students at Carmel Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carmel Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Carmel Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 79.2% of enrollment, in Hesperia, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carmel Elementary?
Carmel Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 8/100 (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 Carmel Elementary rank among elementary schools in Hesperia?
By Resource Investment Index, Carmel Elementary ranks #14 of 16 elementary schools in Hesperia, 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 Hesperia on the city page.
Is Carmel Elementary a good school?
Carmel Elementary earns 8/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% 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 Hesperia Unified?
Besides Carmel Elementary, Hesperia Unified also operates Hesperia High (2,405 students), Oak Hills High (2,370 students), and Sultana High (2,098 students). See the Hesperia 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.