Enrollment
491
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Tracy, CA
Central Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Central 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 060004707383
👥 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
Central Elementary earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of California schools.
- #21 of 22
- elementary schools in Tracy · Resource Index
- 10
- Resource Index · Lower
- 27.3:1
- large classes for California
- 75.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elementary has class sizes larger than 90% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #21 of 22 elementary schools in Tracy, CA.
School address
District: Tracy Joint Unified · California
NCES ID 060004707383 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Elementary
Central Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Tracy, California, enrolling 491 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.3:1 is larger than about 90% of California schools and 27% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 75.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 491 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
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 2,184 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #2,048, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (75%) and Asian (10%) (diversity index 42/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Tracy's elementary schools, it stands alongside George Kelly Elementary (929 students): Central Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (27.3:1 vs 23.2:1).
Tracy Joint Unified also operates Merrill F. West High (1,920 students) and Tracy High (1,739 students) alongside Central 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 Central Elementary compares
Central 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 | 27.3:1 | ▲ 27% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.8% | ▲ 37% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 491 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.3:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
491
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% 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
27.3:1
students per teacher
- 27% above state mean
Top 90% in California - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
45.0%
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
$13,818
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 34 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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 74.9%
Asian 10.4%
White 7.3%
African American 3.1%
Two or More 3.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 74.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.1, Central Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tracy Joint Unified, which includes Central Elementary.
$13,818
Per student
-16%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.5%
State 61.7%
Federal 8.8%
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 Central Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merrill F. West High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tracy High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John C. Kimball High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| George Kelly Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| South/West Park Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,920
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,739
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,587
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 929
- Students per teacher
- 23.2:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 806
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar elementary schools in Tracy
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
George Kelly Elementary
Standard public school
929 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
South/West Park Elementary
Standard public school
806 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Art Freiler
Standard public school
772 students 22.7:1 students per teacher
Tom Hawkins Elementary
Standard public school
728 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
North Elementary
Standard public school
722 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Anthony C. Traina Elementary
Standard public school
721 students 21.2:1 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 (~491 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~27.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Tracy Joint 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 Central Elementary
How many students attend Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has 491 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Tracy, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary is 27.3:1, which is 27% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 74% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Elementary?
75.8% of students at Central Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Central Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 74.9% of enrollment, in Tracy, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary?
Central 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 Central Elementary rank among elementary schools in Tracy?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #21 of 22 elementary schools in Tracy, 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 Tracy on the city page.
Is Central Elementary a good school?
Central Elementary earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% 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 Tracy Joint Unified?
Besides Central Elementary, Tracy Joint Unified also operates Merrill F. West High (1,920 students), Tracy High (1,739 students), and John C. Kimball High (1,587 students). See the Tracy Joint 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.