Enrollment
377
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Los Angeles, CA
Cowan Avenue Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cowan Avenue Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062271002940
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 14
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cowan Avenue Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of California schools.
- #77 of 344
- elementary schools in Los Angeles · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.9:1
- small classes for California
- 56.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Cowan Avenue Elementary has class sizes smaller than 74% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cowan Avenue Elementary ranks #77 of 344 elementary schools in Los Angeles, CA.
School address
District: Los Angeles Unified · California
NCES ID 062271002940 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cowan Avenue Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cowan Avenue Elementary
Cowan Avenue Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Los Angeles, California, enrolling 377 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 56.7% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 377 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.
Against 1,401 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #270.
Its student body is led by African American (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 56/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Los Angeles Unified spends $21,940 per pupil, 33% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Los Angeles's elementary schools, it stands alongside Wish Community (860 students): Cowan Avenue Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.9:1 vs 23.2:1).
Los Angeles Unified also operates Grover Cleveland Charter High (2,719 students) and North Hollywood Senior High (2,444 students) alongside Cowan Avenue 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 Cowan Avenue Elementary compares
Cowan Avenue 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 | 18.9:1 | ▼ 12% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.7% | ▲ 2% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 377 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.9:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
377
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% 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
18.9:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 26% in California - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
34.2%
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
$21,940
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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
African American 60.7%
Hispanic or Latino 18.6%
Two or More 18.0%
White 1.6%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 60.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.4, Cowan Avenue Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Los Angeles Unified, which includes Cowan Avenue Elementary.
$21,940
Per student
+33%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.3%
State 54.5%
Federal 19.2%
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 Cowan Avenue Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grover Cleveland Charter High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Hollywood Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Phineas Banning Senior High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| San Pedro Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Venice Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cowan Avenue Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,719
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,444
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,398
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,293
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar elementary schools in Los Angeles
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Wish Community
Standard public school
860 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
South Park Elementary
Standard public school
825 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Union Avenue Elementary
Standard public school
809 students 20.7:1 students per teacher
One Hundred Seventh Street Elementary
Standard public school
804 students 21.2:1 students per teacher
Kipp Compton Community
Standard public school
783 students 52.2:1 students per teacher
Ninety-Third Street Elementary
Standard public school
772 students 18.4:1 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 (~377 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cowan Avenue Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cowan Avenue Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Los Angeles 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 Cowan Avenue Elementary
How many students attend Cowan Avenue Elementary?
Cowan Avenue Elementary has 377 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Los Angeles, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cowan Avenue Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cowan Avenue Elementary is 18.9:1, which is 12% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 20% 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 Cowan Avenue Elementary?
56.7% of students at Cowan Avenue Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cowan Avenue Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cowan Avenue Elementary is African American at 60.7% of enrollment, in Los Angeles, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cowan Avenue Elementary?
Cowan Avenue Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cowan Avenue Elementary rank among elementary schools in Los Angeles?
By Resource Investment Index, Cowan Avenue Elementary ranks #77 of 344 elementary schools in Los Angeles, 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 Los Angeles on the city page.
Is Cowan Avenue Elementary a good school?
Cowan Avenue Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% 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 Los Angeles Unified?
Besides Cowan Avenue Elementary, Los Angeles Unified also operates Grover Cleveland Charter High (2,719 students), North Hollywood Senior High (2,444 students), and Phineas Banning Senior High (2,422 students). See the Los Angeles 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.