Enrollment
478
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lakewood, CA
Craig Williams Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Craig Williams Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 19/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060444009115
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 4
📋 Attendance 1
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Craig Williams Elementary earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of California schools.
- #13 of 14
- elementary schools in Lakewood · Resource Index
- 19
- Resource Index · Lower
- 26.6:1
- large classes for California
- 77.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Craig Williams Elementary has class sizes larger than 88% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Craig Williams Elementary ranks #13 of 14 elementary schools in Lakewood, CA.
School address
District: Bellflower Unified · California
NCES ID 060444009115 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Craig Williams Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Craig Williams Elementary
Craig Williams Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Lakewood, California, enrolling 478 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.6:1 is larger than about 88% of California schools and 24% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 77.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 478 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 2,156 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,529, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (71%) and African American (14%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 478 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Lakewood's elementary schools, it stands alongside Intensive Learning Center (646 students): Craig Williams Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (26.6:1 vs 22.3:1).
Bellflower Unified also operates Mayfair High (2,422 students) and Bellflower High (1,997 students) alongside Craig Williams 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 Craig Williams Elementary compares
Craig Williams 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 | 26.6:1 | ▲ 24% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.7% | ▲ 40% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 478 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.6:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
478
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% 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
26.6:1
students per teacher
- 24% above state mean
Top 88% in California - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
39.7%
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
$15,917
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 478 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.8 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 71.1%
African American 13.8%
Asian 4.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 3.8%
White 3.6%
Two or More 3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 71.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.0, Craig Williams Elementary is about as mixed as the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bellflower Unified, which includes Craig Williams Elementary.
$15,917
Per student
-4%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.9%
State 70.8%
Federal 14.4%
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 Craig Williams Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mayfair High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bellflower High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Intensive Learning Center | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Washington Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Esther Lindstrom Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Craig Williams Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,997
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 646
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 579
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 552
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar elementary schools in Lakewood
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Intensive Learning Center
Standard public school
646 students 22.3:1 students per teacher
Esther Lindstrom Elementary
Standard public school
552 students 23:1 students per teacher
Stephen Foster Elementary
Standard public school
501 students 21.8:1 students per teacher
Riley Elementary
Standard public school
490 students 27.2:1 students per teacher
Palms Elementary
Standard public school
463 students 21:1 students per teacher
Cleveland Elementary
Standard public school
450 students 26.5:1 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 (~478 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Craig Williams Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Craig Williams Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Bellflower 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 Craig Williams Elementary
How many students attend Craig Williams Elementary?
Craig Williams Elementary has 478 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lakewood, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Craig Williams Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Craig Williams Elementary is 26.6:1, which is 24% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 69% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Craig Williams Elementary?
77.7% of students at Craig Williams Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Craig Williams Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Craig Williams Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 71.1% of enrollment, in Lakewood, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Craig Williams Elementary?
Craig Williams Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (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 Craig Williams Elementary rank among elementary schools in Lakewood?
By Resource Investment Index, Craig Williams Elementary ranks #13 of 14 elementary schools in Lakewood, 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 Lakewood on the city page.
Is Craig Williams Elementary a good school?
Craig Williams Elementary earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% 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 Bellflower Unified?
Besides Craig Williams Elementary, Bellflower Unified also operates Mayfair High (2,422 students), Bellflower High (1,997 students), and Intensive Learning Center (646 students). See the Bellflower 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.