Enrollment
380
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Highland, CA
Cole Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cole Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063417005353
👥 S:T ratio 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cole Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #4 of 10
- elementary schools in Highland · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20:1
- students per teacher
- 85.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Cole Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cole Elementary ranks #4 of 10 elementary schools in Highland, CA.
School address
District: San Bernardino City Unified · California
NCES ID 063417005353 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
85.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cole Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cole Elementary
Cole Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Highland, California, enrolling 380 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 20:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 85.8% of students qualify for free meals, 55% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 380 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.
Against 1,472 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #632.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (79%) and African American (10%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 380 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 57.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Highland's elementary schools, it stands alongside Belvedere Elementary (557 students): Cole Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20:1 vs 21.4:1).
San Bernardino City Unified also operates Cajon High (2,748 students) and Arroyo Valley High (2,692 students) alongside Cole 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 Cole Elementary compares
Cole 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 | 20:1 | ▼ 7% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 85.8% | ▲ 55% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 380 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
380
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
85.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% 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
20:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 35% in California - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
57.4%
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
$18,063
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 380 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.5 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 78.9%
African American 9.5%
White 5.0%
Two or More 3.7%
Asian 2.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 78.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.4, Cole Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Bernardino City Unified, which includes Cole Elementary.
$18,063
Per student
+9%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.5%
State 72.3%
Federal 16.3%
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 Cole Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cajon High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Arroyo Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Indian Springs High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| San Bernardino High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| San Gorgonio High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cole Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,748
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,692
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,810
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,440
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,431
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar elementary schools in Highland
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Belvedere Elementary
Standard public school
557 students 21.4:1 students per teacher
Lankershim Elementary
Standard public school
551 students 21.2:1 students per teacher
Arroyo Verde Elementary
Standard public school
518 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Cypress Elementary
Standard public school
517 students 23.5:1 students per teacher
Cram Elementary
Standard public school
507 students 25.4:1 students per teacher
Highland Grove Elementary
Standard public school
504 students 28:1 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 (~380 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cole Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cole Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- San Bernardino City 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 Cole Elementary
How many students attend Cole Elementary?
Cole Elementary has 380 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Highland, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cole Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cole Elementary is 20:1, which is 7% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 27% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cole Elementary?
85.8% of students at Cole Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cole Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cole Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 78.9% of enrollment, in Highland, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cole Elementary?
Cole Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Cole Elementary rank among elementary schools in Highland?
By Resource Investment Index, Cole Elementary ranks #4 of 10 elementary schools in Highland, 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 Highland on the city page.
Is Cole Elementary a good school?
Cole Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 San Bernardino City Unified?
Besides Cole Elementary, San Bernardino City Unified also operates Cajon High (2,748 students), Arroyo Valley High (2,692 students), and Indian Springs High (1,810 students). See the San Bernardino City 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.