Enrollment
555
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Francisco, CA
Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec
Federal NCES profile for Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 18/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063441005590
👥 S:T ratio 11
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #56 of 83
- elementary schools in San Francisco · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.2:1
- students per teacher
- 65.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec ranks #56 of 83 elementary schools in San Francisco, CA.
School address
District: San Francisco Unified · California
NCES ID 063441005590 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec
Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in San Francisco, California, enrolling 555 students.
At 22.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 65.6% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 555 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 2,052 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,487, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Asian (28%) and Hispanic or Latino (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 78/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 351 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 71.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding San Francisco Unified spends $23,654 per pupil, 43% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among San Francisco's elementary schools, it stands alongside Lilienthal (Claire) Elementary (673 students): Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.2:1 vs 23.2:1).
San Francisco Unified also operates Lowell High (2,571 students) and Lincoln (Abraham) High (2,074 students) alongside Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec.
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 Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec compares
Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.2:1 | ▲ 3% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.6% | ▲ 18% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 555 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.2:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
555
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% 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
22.2:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 55% in California - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
71.2%
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
$23,654
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.6 FTE
Per 351 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.9 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
Asian 28.3%
Hispanic or Latino 25.9%
African American 19.1%
Two or More 15.7%
White 9.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: Asian at 28.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 78.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 78.3, Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Francisco Unified, which includes Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec.
$23,654
Per student
+43%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+43%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.8%
State 31.2%
Federal 12.0%
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 Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowell High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lincoln (Abraham) High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Washington (George) High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Galileo High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Balboa High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,571
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,074
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,068
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,750
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,238
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar elementary schools in San Francisco
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Lilienthal (Claire) Elementary
Standard public school
673 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
Lau (Gordon J.) Elementary
Standard public school
653 students 23.3:1 students per teacher
Lawton Alternative
Standard public school
600 students 20.7:1 students per teacher
Yu (Alice Fong) Elementary
Standard public school
594 students 29.7:1 students per teacher
West Portal Elementary
Standard public school
588 students 26.7:1 students per teacher
Buena Vista/ Horace Mann K-8
Standard public school
586 students 18.9:1 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 (~555 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec's federal record.
- Compare Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec against another school. Compare schools
- San Francisco 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 Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec
How many students attend Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec?
Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec has 555 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Francisco, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec?
The student-teacher ratio at Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec is 22.2:1, which is 3% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 41% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec?
65.6% of students at Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec?
The largest demographic group at Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec is Asian at 28.3% of enrollment, in San Francisco, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 78.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec?
Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (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 Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec rank among elementary schools in San Francisco?
By Resource Investment Index, Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec ranks #56 of 83 elementary schools in San Francisco, 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 San Francisco on the city page.
Is Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec a good school?
Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 San Francisco Unified?
Besides Carmichael (Bessie)/Fec, San Francisco Unified also operates Lowell High (2,571 students), Lincoln (Abraham) High (2,074 students), and Washington (George) High (2,068 students). See the San Francisco 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.