Enrollment
832
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bakersfield, CA
Charles H. Castle Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Charles H. Castle Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 8/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060639009332
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Charles H. Castle Elementary earns 8/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of California schools.
- #96 of 97
- elementary schools in Bakersfield · Resource Index
- 8
- Resource Index · Lower
- 26.8:1
- large classes for California
- 83.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Charles H. Castle Elementary has class sizes larger than 89% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Charles H. Castle Elementary ranks #96 of 97 elementary schools in Bakersfield, CA.
School address
District: Panama-Buena Vista Union · California
NCES ID 060639009332 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
83.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Charles H. Castle Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Charles H. Castle Elementary
Charles H. Castle Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Bakersfield, California, enrolling 832 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.8:1 is larger than about 89% of California schools and 25% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 83.1% of students qualify for free meals, 50% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 832 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 100% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,297 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,260, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (74%) and African American (11%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 832 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 56.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Bakersfield's elementary schools, it stands alongside Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8 (1,151 students): Charles H. Castle Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (26.8:1 vs 25.6:1).
Panama-Buena Vista Union also operates Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8 (1,151 students) and Douglas J. Miller Elementary (994 students) alongside Charles H. Castle 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 H. Castle Elementary compares
Charles H. Castle 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 | 26.8:1 | ▲ 25% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 83.1% | ▲ 50% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 832 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.8:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
832
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
83.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
26.8:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 89% in California - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
56.9%
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
$14,357
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 832 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 33 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 73.5%
African American 11.4%
White 8.2%
Two or More 3.5%
Asian 2.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 73.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.8, Charles H. Castle Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Panama-Buena Vista Union, which includes Charles H. Castle Elementary.
$14,357
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 10.2%
State 71.3%
Federal 18.5%
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 H. Castle Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8 | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Douglas J. Miller Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Stonecreek Junior High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Earl Warren Junior High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Berkshire Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Charles H. Castle Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,151
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 994
- Students per teacher
- 29.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 986
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 965
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 932
- Students per teacher
- 28.2:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar elementary schools in Bakersfield
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8
Standard public school
1,151 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Veterans Elementary
Standard public school
1,002 students 27.8:1 students per teacher
Douglas J. Miller Elementary
Standard public school
994 students 29.2:1 students per teacher
Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary
Standard public school
960 students 24:1 students per teacher
Berkshire Elementary
Standard public school
932 students 28.2:1 students per teacher
Patriot Elementary
Standard public school
931 students 23.3:1 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 (~832 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~26.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Charles H. Castle Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Charles H. Castle Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Panama-Buena Vista Union'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 H. Castle Elementary
How many students attend Charles H. Castle Elementary?
Charles H. Castle Elementary has 832 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bakersfield, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Charles H. Castle Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Charles H. Castle Elementary is 26.8:1, which is 25% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 71% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Charles H. Castle Elementary?
83.1% of students at Charles H. Castle Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Charles H. Castle Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Charles H. Castle Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 73.5% of enrollment, in Bakersfield, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Charles H. Castle Elementary?
Charles H. Castle Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 8/100 (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 Charles H. Castle Elementary rank among elementary schools in Bakersfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Charles H. Castle Elementary ranks #96 of 97 elementary schools in Bakersfield, 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 Bakersfield on the city page.
Is Charles H. Castle Elementary a good school?
Charles H. Castle Elementary earns 8/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% 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 Panama-Buena Vista Union?
Besides Charles H. Castle Elementary, Panama-Buena Vista Union also operates Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8 (1,151 students), Douglas J. Miller Elementary (994 students), and Stonecreek Junior High (986 students). See the Panama-Buena Vista Union 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.