Enrollment
473
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Santa Ana, CA
Edward Russell Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Edward Russell Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 10/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061488001877
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 1
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Edward Russell Elementary earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #51 of 51
- elementary schools in Santa Ana · Resource Index
- 10
- Resource Index · Lower
- 26.3:1
- large classes for California
- 88.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Edward Russell Elementary has class sizes larger than 86% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Edward Russell Elementary ranks #51 of 51 elementary schools in Santa Ana, CA.
School address
District: Garden Grove Unified · California
NCES ID 061488001877 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
88.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Edward Russell Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Edward Russell Elementary
Edward Russell Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Santa Ana, California, enrolling 473 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.3:1 is larger than about 86% of California schools and 22% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 88.7% of students qualify for free meals, 60% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 473 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,542 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,463, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 9/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Santa Ana's elementary schools, it stands alongside Mcfadden Institute of Technology (1,074 students): Edward Russell Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (26.3:1 vs 20.3:1).
Garden Grove Unified also operates Garden Grove High (2,148 students) and La Quinta High (2,041 students) alongside Edward Russell 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 Edward Russell Elementary compares
Edward Russell 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 | 26.3:1 | ▲ 22% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 88.7% | ▲ 60% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 473 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.3:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
473
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
88.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% 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
26.3:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 86% in California - lower ratio than 14% 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
$16,783
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 + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 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 95.6%
White 2.1%
Asian 2.1%
Two or More 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 95.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 8.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 8.5, Edward Russell Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Garden Grove Unified, which includes Edward Russell Elementary.
$16,783
Per student
+2%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.3%
State 56.8%
Federal 12.9%
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 Edward Russell Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden Grove High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| La Quinta High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bolsa Grande High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Santiago High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pacifica High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Edward Russell Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,148
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,041
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,701
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,664
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,634
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar elementary schools in Santa Ana
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Mcfadden Institute of Technology
Standard public school
1,074 students 20.3:1 students per teacher
El Sol Santa Ana Science and Arts Academy
Standard public school
980 students 20.4:1 students per teacher
Santiago Elementary
Standard public school
906 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Romero-Cruz Academy
Standard public school
827 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Greenville Fundamental Elementary
Standard public school
817 students 21.5:1 students per teacher
Manuel Esqueda Elementary
Standard public school
811 students 19.8:1 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 (~473 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~26.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Edward Russell Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Edward Russell Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Garden Grove 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 Edward Russell Elementary
How many students attend Edward Russell Elementary?
Edward Russell Elementary has 473 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Santa Ana, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Edward Russell Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Edward Russell Elementary is 26.3:1, which is 22% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 68% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Edward Russell Elementary?
88.7% of students at Edward Russell Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Edward Russell Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Edward Russell Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 95.6% of enrollment, in Santa Ana, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Edward Russell Elementary?
Edward Russell Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 10/100 (lower 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 Edward Russell Elementary rank among elementary schools in Santa Ana?
By Resource Investment Index, Edward Russell Elementary ranks #51 of 51 elementary schools in Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana on the city page.
Is Edward Russell Elementary a good school?
Edward Russell Elementary earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% 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 Garden Grove Unified?
Besides Edward Russell Elementary, Garden Grove Unified also operates Garden Grove High (2,148 students), La Quinta High (2,041 students), and Bolsa Grande High (1,701 students). See the Garden Grove 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.