Enrollment
608
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Colton, CA
Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063237003848
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 26
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #2 of 10
- elementary schools in Colton · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.3:1
- large classes for California
- 63.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary has class sizes larger than 81% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary ranks #2 of 10 elementary schools in Colton, CA.
School address
District: Rialto Unified · California
NCES ID 063237003848 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary
Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Colton, California, enrolling 608 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.3:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 63.8% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 608 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,950 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #445.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (91% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 18/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Colton's elementary schools, it stands alongside Alice Birney Elementary (681 students): Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.3:1 vs 25.2:1).
Rialto Unified also operates Rialto High (2,623 students) and Eisenhower High (2,075 students) alongside Dr. Ernest Garcia 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 Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary compares
Dr. Ernest Garcia 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 | 25.3:1 | ▲ 18% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.8% | ▲ 15% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 608 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.3:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
608
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% 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
25.3:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 81% in California - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
29.8%
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
$15,995
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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 + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 90.5%
African American 3.9%
White 2.3%
Asian 1.5%
Two or More 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 90.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 17.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 17.8, Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rialto Unified, which includes Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary.
$15,995
Per student
-3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.4%
State 72.8%
Federal 10.9%
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 Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rialto High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Eisenhower High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wilmer Amina Carter High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| William G. Jehue Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rialto Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,623
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,075
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,951
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,444
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,017
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar elementary schools in Colton
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Alice Birney Elementary
Standard public school
681 students 25.2:1 students per teacher
Georgia F. Morris Elementary
Standard public school
604 students 25.2:1 students per teacher
Paul Rogers Elementary
Standard public school
602 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
Ulysses Grant Elementary
Standard public school
589 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Abraham Lincoln Elementary
Standard public school
587 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
Reche Canyon Elementary
Standard public school
547 students 22.8:1 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 (~608 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Rialto 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 Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary
How many students attend Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary?
Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary has 608 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Colton, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary is 25.3:1, which is 18% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 61% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary?
63.8% of students at Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 90.5% of enrollment, in Colton, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary?
Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary rank among elementary schools in Colton?
By Resource Investment Index, Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary ranks #2 of 10 elementary schools in Colton, 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 Colton on the city page.
Is Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary a good school?
Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Rialto Unified?
Besides Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary, Rialto Unified also operates Rialto High (2,623 students), Eisenhower High (2,075 students), and Wilmer Amina Carter High (1,951 students). See the Rialto 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.