Enrollment
782
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Banning, CA
Central Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060384000348
👥 S:T ratio 2
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elementary earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of California schools.
- #2 of 4
- elementary schools in Banning · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.4:1
- large classes for California
- 74.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elementary has class sizes larger than 75% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Banning, CA.
School address
District: Banning Unified · California
NCES ID 060384000348 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
+34% 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 higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Banning, California, enrolling 782 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.4:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 74.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 782 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,645 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #847.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 34/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 782 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Banning's elementary schools, it stands alongside Hemmerling Elementary (468 students): Central Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.4:1 vs 21.3:1).
Banning Unified also operates Banning High (1,145 students) and Nicolet Middle (966 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 | 24.4:1 | ▲ 13% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.5% | ▲ 34% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 782 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.4:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
782
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% 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
24.4:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 75% in California - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
32.9%
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
$17,358
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 782 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 80.9%
African American 6.5%
White 5.4%
Asian 3.3%
Two or More 3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 80.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.6, Central Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Banning Unified, which includes Central Elementary.
$17,358
Per student
+5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.7%
State 58.1%
Federal 21.1%
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 Central Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banning High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Nicolet Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hemmerling Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hoffer Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cabazon Elementary | Smaller | 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
- 1,145
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 966
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 468
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 367
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 268
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Banning
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~782 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Banning 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 782 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Banning, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary is 24.4:1, which is 13% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 55% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Elementary?
74.5% 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 80.9% of enrollment, in Banning, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (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 Central Elementary rank among elementary schools in Banning?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Banning, 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 Banning on the city page.
Is Central Elementary a good school?
Central Elementary earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% 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 Banning Unified?
Besides Central Elementary, Banning Unified also operates Banning High (1,145 students), Nicolet Middle (966 students), and Hemmerling Elementary (468 students). See the Banning 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.