Enrollment
326
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Salinas, CA
El Puente
Federal NCES profile for El Puente, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 063398012977
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 78
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
El Puente earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #3 of 7
- schools in Salinas · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.1:1
- small classes for California
- 72.4%
- free-lunch eligible
El Puente has class sizes smaller than 78% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, El Puente ranks #3 of 7 schools in Salinas, CA.
School address
District: Salinas Union High · California
NCES ID 063398012977 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
+30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How El Puente compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at El Puente
El Puente is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Salinas, California, enrolling 326 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 72.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 326 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,398 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #347.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (93% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 13/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 109 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 69.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Salinas's public schools, it stands alongside Monterey County Special Education (274 students): El Puente is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.1:1 vs 7:1).
Salinas Union High also operates Alisal High (2,742 students) and Salinas High (2,380 students) alongside El Puente.
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 El Puente compares
El Puente on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.1:1 | ▼ 16% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.4% | ▲ 30% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 326 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.1:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
326
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
18.1:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 22% in California - lower ratio than 78% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
69.3%
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
$14,795
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 109 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.8 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 93.3%
White 4.0%
Two or More 1.8%
Asian 0.6%
African American 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 93.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 12.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 12.8, El Puente is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Salinas Union High, which includes El Puente.
$14,795
Per student
-10%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.3%
State 65.8%
Federal 11.0%
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 El Puente Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alisal High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Salinas High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Salinas High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Everett Alvarez High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rancho San Juan High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to El Puente's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,742
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,380
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,106
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,978
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,600
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar other schools in Salinas
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Monterey County Special Education
Special-education school
274 students 7:1 students per teacher
Monterey County Home Charter
Standard public school
255 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Salinas Community
Alternative education program
101 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
North Monterey County Center for Independent Study
Alternative education program
96 students 16:1 students per teacher
Wellington M. Smith Jr.
Alternative education program
50 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Carr Lake Community Day
Alternative education program
18 students 18:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~326 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on El Puente's federal record.
- Compare El Puente against another school. Compare schools
- Salinas Union High'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 El Puente
How many students attend El Puente?
El Puente has 326 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Salinas, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at El Puente?
The student-teacher ratio at El Puente is 18.1:1, which is 16% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 15% 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 El Puente?
72.4% of students at El Puente are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of El Puente?
The largest demographic group at El Puente is Hispanic or Latino at 93.3% of enrollment, in Salinas, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for El Puente?
El Puente has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical 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 El Puente rank among schools in Salinas?
By Resource Investment Index, El Puente ranks #3 of 7 schools in Salinas, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Salinas on the city page.
Is El Puente a good school?
El Puente earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% 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 Salinas Union High?
Besides El Puente, Salinas Union High also operates Alisal High (2,742 students), Salinas High (2,380 students), and North Salinas High (2,106 students). See the Salinas Union High 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.