Enrollment
653
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Ceres, CA
Caswell Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Caswell Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 10/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060813000784
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Caswell Elementary earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #10 of 11
- elementary schools in Ceres · Resource Index
- 10
- Resource Index · Lower
- 26.1:1
- large classes for California
- 82.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Caswell Elementary has class sizes larger than 86% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Caswell Elementary ranks #10 of 11 elementary schools in Ceres, CA.
School address
District: Ceres Unified · California
NCES ID 060813000784 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Caswell Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Caswell Elementary
Caswell Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Ceres, California, enrolling 653 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.1:1 is larger than about 86% of California schools and 21% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 82.8% of students qualify for free meals, 49% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 653 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,854 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,722, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 9/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Ceres's elementary schools, it stands alongside Lucas Elementary (668 students): Caswell Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (26.1:1 vs 26.7:1).
Ceres Unified also operates Central Valley High (2,317 students) and Ceres High (1,660 students) alongside Caswell 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 Caswell Elementary compares
Caswell 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 | 26.1:1 | ▲ 21% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.8% | ▲ 49% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 653 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.1:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
653
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
82.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
26.1:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 86% in California - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
51.9%
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
$16,252
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 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 95.6%
White 2.1%
African American 1.2%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 95.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 8.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 8.5, Caswell Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ceres Unified, which includes Caswell Elementary.
$16,252
Per student
-2%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.4%
State 74.5%
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 Caswell Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ceres High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cesar Chavez Junior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lucas Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Virginia Parks Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Caswell Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,317
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 1,660
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 685
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 668
- Students per teacher
- 26.7:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 643
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
Similar elementary schools in Ceres
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Lucas Elementary
Standard public school
668 students 26.7:1 students per teacher
Sinclear Elementary
Standard public school
581 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
Samuel Vaughn Elementary
Standard public school
570 students 24.8:1 students per teacher
Walter White Elementary
Standard public school
526 students 25:1 students per teacher
Carroll Fowler Elementary
Standard public school
522 students 22.7:1 students per teacher
La Rosa Elementary
Standard public school
516 students 21.5:1 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 (~653 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~26.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Caswell Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Caswell Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Ceres 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 Caswell Elementary
How many students attend Caswell Elementary?
Caswell Elementary has 653 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Ceres, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Caswell Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Caswell Elementary is 26.1:1, which is 21% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 66% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Caswell Elementary?
82.8% of students at Caswell Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Caswell Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Caswell Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 95.6% of enrollment, in Ceres, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Caswell Elementary?
Caswell Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 10/100 (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 Caswell Elementary rank among elementary schools in Ceres?
By Resource Investment Index, Caswell Elementary ranks #10 of 11 elementary schools in Ceres, 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 Ceres on the city page.
Is Caswell Elementary a good school?
Caswell Elementary earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of California schools. 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 Ceres Unified?
Besides Caswell Elementary, Ceres Unified also operates Central Valley High (2,317 students), Ceres High (1,660 students), and Cesar Chavez Junior High (685 students). See the Ceres 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.