Enrollment
436
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Central Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060795000761
👥 S:T ratio 3
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 43
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of California schools.
- #1 of 9
- elementary schools in Rancho Cucamonga · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.2:1
- large classes for California
- 58.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elementary has class sizes larger than 73% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #1 of 9 elementary schools in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.
School address
District: Central Elementary · California
NCES ID 060795000761 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
+5% 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 Rancho Cucamonga, California, enrolling 436 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.2:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 58.0% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 436 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,667 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #171, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (66%) and White (11%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 291 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Rancho Cucamonga's elementary schools, it stands alongside Ruth Musser Middle (941 students): Central Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.2:1 vs 23:1).
Central Elementary also operates Ruth Musser Middle (941 students) and Coyote Canyon Elementary (817 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 | 24.2:1 | ▲ 13% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.0% | ▲ 5% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 436 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.2:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
436
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% 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
24.2:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 73% in California - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
22.7%
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
$13,495
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 291 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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 66.3%
White 11.2%
African American 8.7%
Two or More 7.8%
Asian 5.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 66.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.1, Central Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Central Elementary, which includes Central Elementary.
$13,495
Per student
-18%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.2%
State 69.7%
Federal 12.2%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruth Musser Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Coyote Canyon Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cucamonga Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dona Merced Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Valle Vista Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher 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
- 941
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 817
- Students per teacher
- 28.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 662
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 547
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 471
- Students per teacher
- 26.2:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Rancho Cucamonga
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Ruth Musser Middle
Standard public school
941 students 23:1 students per teacher
Terra Vista Elementary
Standard public school
855 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Coyote Canyon Elementary
Standard public school
817 students 28.2:1 students per teacher
Los Amigos Elementary
Standard public school
550 students 20.4:1 students per teacher
Dona Merced Elementary
Standard public school
547 students 24.9:1 students per teacher
Valle Vista Elementary
Standard public school
471 students 26.2:1 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 (~436 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Central 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 436 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary is 24.2:1, which is 13% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 54% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Elementary?
58.0% 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 66.3% of enrollment, in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical 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 Rancho Cucamonga?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #1 of 9 elementary schools in Rancho Cucamonga, 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 Rancho Cucamonga on the city page.
Is Central Elementary a good school?
Central Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% 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 Central Elementary?
Besides Central Elementary, Central Elementary also operates Ruth Musser Middle (941 students), Coyote Canyon Elementary (817 students), and Cucamonga Middle (662 students). See the Central 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.