Enrollment
437
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Belmont, CA
Central Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060453000414
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 82
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elementary earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #2 of 4
- elementary schools in Belmont · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.7:1
- large classes for California
- 3.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elementary has class sizes larger than 84% 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 Belmont, CA.
School address
District: Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary · California
NCES ID 060453000414 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
3.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-93% 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 lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Belmont, California, enrolling 437 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.7:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 3.9% free-meal eligibility runs 93% below the California average.
With 437 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 537 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #449, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Asian (42%) and White (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 874 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Belmont's elementary schools, it stands alongside Nesbit Elementary (566 students): Central Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.7:1 vs 19.5:1).
Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary also operates Ralston Intermediate (1,082 students) and Nesbit Elementary (566 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 | 25.7:1 | ▲ 20% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 3.9% | ▼ 93% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 437 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.7:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
437
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
3.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 93% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
25.7:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 84% in California - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
7.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,913
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 42.3%
White 26.8%
Two or More 23.1%
Hispanic or Latino 7.6%
African American 0.2%
Largest group: Asian at 42.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.0, Central Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary, which includes Central Elementary.
$13,913
Per student
-16%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.2%
State 69.2%
Federal 4.6%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ralston Intermediate | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Nesbit Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sandpiper Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cipriani Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fox Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar 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
- 1,082
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 566
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
- Enrollment
- 534
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 8/100
- Enrollment
- 471
- Students per teacher
- 26.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 420
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar elementary schools in Belmont
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 (~437 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Belmont-Redwood Shores 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 Central Elementary
How many students attend Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has 437 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Belmont, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary is 25.7:1, which is 20% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 64% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Elementary?
3.9% 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 Asian at 42.3% of enrollment, in Belmont, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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 Belmont?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Belmont, 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 Belmont on the city page.
Is Central Elementary a good school?
Central Elementary earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of California schools. 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 Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary?
Besides Central Elementary, Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary also operates Ralston Intermediate (1,082 students), Nesbit Elementary (566 students), and Sandpiper Elementary (534 students). See the Belmont-Redwood Shores 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.