Enrollment
317
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Whittier, CA
Carmela Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Carmela Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 17/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063756007143
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carmela Elementary earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #22 of 29
- elementary schools in Whittier · Resource Index
- 17
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.8:1
- students per teacher
- 78.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Carmela Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carmela Elementary ranks #22 of 29 elementary schools in Whittier, CA.
School address
District: South Whittier Elementary · California
NCES ID 063756007143 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carmela Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carmela Elementary
Carmela Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Whittier, California, enrolling 317 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 78.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 317 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,336 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,112, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (94% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 12/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Whittier's elementary schools, it stands alongside Ocean View Elementary (668 students): Carmela Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.8:1 vs 26.7:1).
South Whittier Elementary also operates Richard L. Graves Middle (484 students) and Los Altos Elementary (457 students) alongside Carmela 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 Carmela Elementary compares
Carmela 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 | 19.8:1 | ▼ 8% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.1% | ▲ 41% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 317 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.8:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
317
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
19.8:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 33% in California - lower ratio than 67% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
46.1%
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
$18,916
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 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 93.7%
White 4.1%
African American 0.9%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 93.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 12.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 12.0, Carmela Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Whittier Elementary, which includes Carmela Elementary.
$18,916
Per student
+15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.3%
State 59.9%
Federal 14.8%
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 Carmela Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richard L. Graves Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Los Altos Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Howard J. Mckibben Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Loma Vista Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lake Marie Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carmela Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 484
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 457
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 430
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 379
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 186
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
Similar elementary schools in Whittier
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Ocean View Elementary
Standard public school
668 students 26.7:1 students per teacher
Leffingwell Elementary
Standard public school
551 students 24:1 students per teacher
Wallen L. Andrews Elementary
Standard public school
542 students 20.8:1 students per teacher
Jordan Elementary
Standard public school
516 students 25.8:1 students per teacher
Daniel Phelan Elementary
Standard public school
507 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Longfellow Elementary
Standard public school
499 students 24.9:1 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 (~317 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carmela Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Carmela Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- South Whittier 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 Carmela Elementary
How many students attend Carmela Elementary?
Carmela Elementary has 317 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Whittier, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carmela Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Carmela Elementary is 19.8:1, which is 8% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 26% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Carmela Elementary?
78.1% of students at Carmela Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carmela Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Carmela Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 93.7% of enrollment, in Whittier, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carmela Elementary?
Carmela Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 17/100 (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 Carmela Elementary rank among elementary schools in Whittier?
By Resource Investment Index, Carmela Elementary ranks #22 of 29 elementary schools in Whittier, 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 Whittier on the city page.
Is Carmela Elementary a good school?
Carmela Elementary earns 17/100 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 South Whittier Elementary?
Besides Carmela Elementary, South Whittier Elementary also operates Richard L. Graves Middle (484 students), Los Altos Elementary (457 students), and Howard J. Mckibben Elementary (430 students). See the South Whittier 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.