Enrollment
514
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Atwater, CA
Elmer Wood Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Elmer Wood Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060342000258
👥 S:T ratio 11
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Elmer Wood Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #4 of 7
- elementary schools in Atwater · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.3:1
- students per teacher
- 66.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Elmer Wood Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Elmer Wood Elementary ranks #4 of 7 elementary schools in Atwater, CA.
School address
District: Atwater Elementary · California
NCES ID 060342000258 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
+20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Elmer Wood Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Elmer Wood Elementary
Elmer Wood Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Atwater, California, enrolling 514 students.
At 22.3:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 66.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 514 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 2,076 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #416.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (75%) and White (19%) (diversity index 40/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Atwater's elementary schools, it stands alongside Peggy Heller Elementary (712 students): Elmer Wood Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.3:1 vs 23:1).
Atwater Elementary also operates Mitchell Intermediate (744 students) and Peggy Heller Elementary (712 students) alongside Elmer Wood 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 Elmer Wood Elementary compares
Elmer Wood 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 | 22.3:1 | ▲ 4% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.5% | ▲ 20% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 514 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.3:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
514
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% 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
22.3:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 56% in California - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
33.1%
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
$13,844
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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 75.3%
White 18.5%
Two or More 3.1%
Asian 1.8%
African American 1.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 75.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.7, Elmer Wood Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Atwater Elementary, which includes Elmer Wood Elementary.
$13,844
Per student
-16%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 8.6%
State 79.1%
Federal 12.3%
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 Elmer Wood Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell Intermediate | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Peggy Heller Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bellevue Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mitchell Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shaffer Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Elmer Wood Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 744
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 712
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 599
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 528
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 405
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar elementary schools in Atwater
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Peggy Heller Elementary
Standard public school
712 students 23:1 students per teacher
Bellevue Elementary
Standard public school
599 students 21.4:1 students per teacher
Mitchell Elementary
Standard public school
528 students 24:1 students per teacher
Shaffer Elementary
Standard public school
405 students 17.6:1 students per teacher
Thomas Olaeta Elementary
Standard public school
374 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Aileen Colburn Elementary
Standard public school
371 students 19.5:1 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 (~514 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Elmer Wood Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Elmer Wood Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Atwater Elementary'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 Elmer Wood Elementary
How many students attend Elmer Wood Elementary?
Elmer Wood Elementary has 514 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Atwater, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Elmer Wood Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Elmer Wood Elementary is 22.3:1, which is 4% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 42% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Elmer Wood Elementary?
66.5% of students at Elmer Wood Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Elmer Wood Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Elmer Wood Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 75.3% of enrollment, in Atwater, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Elmer Wood Elementary?
Elmer Wood Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Elmer Wood Elementary rank among elementary schools in Atwater?
By Resource Investment Index, Elmer Wood Elementary ranks #4 of 7 elementary schools in Atwater, 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 Atwater on the city page.
Is Elmer Wood Elementary a good school?
Elmer Wood Elementary earns 33/100 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 Atwater Elementary?
Besides Elmer Wood Elementary, Atwater Elementary also operates Mitchell Intermediate (744 students), Peggy Heller Elementary (712 students), and Bellevue Elementary (599 students). See the Atwater Elementary 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.