Enrollment
317
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bakersfield, CA
Downtown Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Downtown Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060363007101
👥 S:T ratio 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 88
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Downtown Elementary earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #1 of 97
- elementary schools in Bakersfield · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 22.6:1
- students per teacher
- 20.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Downtown Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Downtown Elementary ranks #1 of 97 elementary schools in Bakersfield, CA.
School address
District: Bakersfield City · California
NCES ID 060363007101 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
20.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Downtown Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Downtown Elementary
Downtown Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Bakersfield, California, enrolling 317 students.
At 22.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 20.4% free-meal eligibility runs 63% below the California average.
Enrollment of 317 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 618 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #7, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (57%) and White (34%) (diversity index 56/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 15.7% 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): Downtown Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.6:1 vs 25.6:1).
Bakersfield City also operates Curran Middle (973 students) and Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary (960 students) alongside Downtown 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 Downtown Elementary compares
Downtown 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 | 22.6:1 | ▲ 5% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.4% | ▼ 63% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 317 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.6:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
317
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
20.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
22.6:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 59% in California - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
4.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$17,295
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 56.5%
White 34.1%
Asian 3.2%
African American 2.8%
Two or More 2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 56.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.2, Downtown Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bakersfield City, which includes Downtown Elementary.
$17,295
Per student
+5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 6.5%
State 77.8%
Federal 15.7%
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 Downtown Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curran Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Voorhies Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Walter Stiern Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Horace Mann Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Downtown Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 973
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 960
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 915
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 891
- Students per teacher
- 25.5:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 870
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
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 (~317 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Downtown Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Downtown Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Bakersfield City'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 Downtown Elementary
How many students attend Downtown Elementary?
Downtown Elementary has 317 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bakersfield, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Downtown Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Downtown Elementary is 22.6:1, which is 5% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 44% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Downtown Elementary?
20.4% of students at Downtown Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Downtown Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Downtown Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 56.5% of enrollment, in Bakersfield, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Downtown Elementary?
Downtown Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (higher 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 Downtown Elementary rank among elementary schools in Bakersfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Downtown Elementary ranks #1 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 Downtown Elementary a good school?
Downtown Elementary earns 56/100 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 Bakersfield City?
Besides Downtown Elementary, Bakersfield City also operates Curran Middle (973 students), Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary (960 students), and Voorhies Elementary (915 students). See the Bakersfield City 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.