Enrollment
597
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Chico, CA
Emma Wilson Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Emma Wilson Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 13/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060837001947
👥 S:T ratio 15
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Emma Wilson Elementary earns 13/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #19 of 19
- elementary schools in Chico · Resource Index
- 13
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.3:1
- students per teacher
- 49.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Emma Wilson Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Emma Wilson Elementary ranks #19 of 19 elementary schools in Chico, CA.
School address
District: Chico Unified · California
NCES ID 060837001947 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Emma Wilson Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Emma Wilson Elementary
Emma Wilson Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Chico, California, enrolling 597 students.
At 21.3:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 49.7% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 597 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,501 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,340, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 597 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Chico's elementary schools, it stands alongside Shasta Elementary (621 students): Emma Wilson Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.3:1 vs 21.4:1).
Chico Unified also operates Pleasant Valley High (1,978 students) and Chico High (1,804 students) alongside Emma Wilson 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 Emma Wilson Elementary compares
Emma Wilson 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 | 21.3:1 | ▼ 1% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.7% | ▼ 10% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 597 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.3:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
597
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.3:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 46% in California - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
36.5%
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
$15,280
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 597 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 11 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
White 54.1%
Hispanic or Latino 27.1%
Two or More 9.6%
Asian 5.4%
African American 2.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 54.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.1, Emma Wilson Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chico Unified, which includes Emma Wilson Elementary.
$15,280
Per student
-7%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.8%
State 51.0%
Federal 13.3%
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 Emma Wilson Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pleasant Valley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chico High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bidwell Junior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chico Junior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Emma Wilson Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,978
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,804
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,012
- Students per teacher
- 24.7:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 861
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 716
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar elementary schools in Chico
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Shasta Elementary
Standard public school
621 students 21.4:1 students per teacher
Chico Country Day
Standard public school
585 students 25.4:1 students per teacher
Marigold Elementary
Standard public school
571 students 27.2:1 students per teacher
Rosedale Elementary
Standard public school
563 students 23.5:1 students per teacher
Little Chico Creek Elementary
Standard public school
471 students 21.4:1 students per teacher
Sierra View Elementary
Alternative education program
428 students 20.4:1 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 (~597 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Emma Wilson Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Emma Wilson Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Chico 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 Emma Wilson Elementary
How many students attend Emma Wilson Elementary?
Emma Wilson Elementary has 597 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Chico, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Emma Wilson Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Emma Wilson Elementary is 21.3:1, which is 1% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 36% 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 Emma Wilson Elementary?
49.7% of students at Emma Wilson Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Emma Wilson Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Emma Wilson Elementary is White at 54.1% of enrollment, in Chico, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Emma Wilson Elementary?
Emma Wilson Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 13/100 (lower 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 Emma Wilson Elementary rank among elementary schools in Chico?
By Resource Investment Index, Emma Wilson Elementary ranks #19 of 19 elementary schools in Chico, 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 Chico on the city page.
Is Emma Wilson Elementary a good school?
Emma Wilson Elementary earns 13/100 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 Chico Unified?
Besides Emma Wilson Elementary, Chico Unified also operates Pleasant Valley High (1,978 students), Chico High (1,804 students), and Bidwell Junior High (1,012 students). See the Chico 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.