Enrollment
646
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Buena Park, CA
Charles G. Emery Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Charles G. Emery Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060636000555
👥 S:T ratio 1
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Charles G. Emery Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of California schools.
- #2 of 10
- elementary schools in Buena Park · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.8:1
- large classes for California
- 41.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Charles G. Emery Elementary has class sizes larger than 78% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Charles G. Emery Elementary ranks #2 of 10 elementary schools in Buena Park, CA.
School address
District: Buena Park Elementary · California
NCES ID 060636000555 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Charles G. Emery Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Charles G. Emery Elementary
Charles G. Emery Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Buena Park, California, enrolling 646 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.8:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 646 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,369 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #365.
Its student body is led by Asian (57%) and Hispanic or Latino (31%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 646 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
11.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Buena Park's elementary schools, it stands alongside Buena Terra Elementary (627 students): Charles G. Emery Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24.8:1 vs 25.1:1).
Buena Park Elementary also operates Gordon H. Beatty Middle (641 students) and Buena Park Middle (633 students) alongside Charles G. Emery 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 Charles G. Emery Elementary compares
Charles G. Emery 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 | 24.8:1 | ▲ 15% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.3% | ▼ 26% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 646 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.8:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
646
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
24.8:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 78% in California - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
11.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$16,711
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 646 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
Asian 57.0%
Hispanic or Latino 31.1%
Two or More 5.9%
White 4.8%
African American 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Asian at 57.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.2, Charles G. Emery Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Buena Park Elementary, which includes Charles G. Emery Elementary.
$16,711
Per student
+1%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.2%
State 51.5%
Federal 11.3%
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 Charles G. Emery Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gordon H. Beatty Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Buena Park Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| James a. Whitaker Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Carl E. Gilbert Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Charles G. Emery Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 641
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 633
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 559
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 490
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 365
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar elementary schools in Buena Park
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Buena Terra Elementary
Standard public school
627 students 25.1:1 students per teacher
James a. Whitaker Elementary
Standard public school
559 students 20.7:1 students per teacher
Carl E. Gilbert Elementary
Standard public school
490 students 23.3:1 students per teacher
Glen H. Dysinger Sr. Elementary
Standard public school
468 students 21.3:1 students per teacher
San Marino Elementary
Standard public school
465 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Holder Elementary
Standard public school
445 students 19.3:1 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 (~646 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Charles G. Emery Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Charles G. Emery Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Buena Park 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 Charles G. Emery Elementary
How many students attend Charles G. Emery Elementary?
Charles G. Emery Elementary has 646 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Buena Park, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Charles G. Emery Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Charles G. Emery Elementary is 24.8:1, which is 15% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 58% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Charles G. Emery Elementary?
41.3% of students at Charles G. Emery Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Charles G. Emery Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Charles G. Emery Elementary is Asian at 57.0% of enrollment, in Buena Park, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Charles G. Emery Elementary?
Charles G. Emery Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Charles G. Emery Elementary rank among elementary schools in Buena Park?
By Resource Investment Index, Charles G. Emery Elementary ranks #2 of 10 elementary schools in Buena Park, 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 Buena Park on the city page.
Is Charles G. Emery Elementary a good school?
Charles G. Emery Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% 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 Buena Park Elementary?
Besides Charles G. Emery Elementary, Buena Park Elementary also operates Gordon H. Beatty Middle (641 students), Buena Park Middle (633 students), and James a. Whitaker Elementary (559 students). See the Buena Park 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.