Enrollment
559
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Holtville, CA
Emmett S. Finley Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Emmett S. Finley Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061743002184
👥 S:T ratio 14
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Emmett S. Finley Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #6 of 6
- public schools in Holtville · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.5:1
- students per teacher
- 73.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Emmett S. Finley Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Emmett S. Finley Elementary ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Holtville, CA.
School address
District: Holtville Unified · California
NCES ID 061743002184 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
+33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Emmett S. Finley Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Emmett S. Finley Elementary
Emmett S. Finley Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Holtville, California, enrolling 559 students.
At 21.5:1, 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 73.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 559 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 2,166 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #984.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (94% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 12/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 559 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Holtville's elementary schools, it stands alongside Pine Elementary (210 students): Emmett S. Finley Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.5:1 vs 19.1:1).
Holtville Unified also operates Holtville High (516 students) and Holtville Middle (257 students) alongside Emmett S. Finley 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 Emmett S. Finley Elementary compares
Emmett S. Finley 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 | 21.5:1 | ▼ 0% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.6% | ▲ 33% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 559 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.5:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
559
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
73.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% 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
21.5:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 48% in California - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
33.8%
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
$15,872
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 559 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.9 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 93.6%
White 5.0%
African American 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Two or More 0.4%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 93.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 12.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 12.1, Emmett S. Finley Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Holtville Unified, which includes Emmett S. Finley Elementary.
$15,872
Per student
-4%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.1%
State 66.8%
Federal 12.1%
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 Emmett S. Finley Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holtville High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Holtville Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pine Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Freedom Academy of Imperial Valley | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sam Webb Continuation | Smaller | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Emmett S. Finley Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 516
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 257
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 210
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 22
- Students per teacher
- 7.3:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 10
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 83/100
Similar elementary schools in Holtville
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~559 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Emmett S. Finley Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Emmett S. Finley Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Holtville 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 Emmett S. Finley Elementary
How many students attend Emmett S. Finley Elementary?
Emmett S. Finley Elementary has 559 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Holtville, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Emmett S. Finley Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Emmett S. Finley Elementary is 21.5:1, which is 0% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 37% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Emmett S. Finley Elementary?
73.6% of students at Emmett S. Finley Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Emmett S. Finley Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Emmett S. Finley Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 93.6% of enrollment, in Holtville, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Emmett S. Finley Elementary?
Emmett S. Finley Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (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 Emmett S. Finley Elementary rank among public schools in Holtville?
By Resource Investment Index, Emmett S. Finley Elementary ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Holtville, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Holtville on the city page.
Is Emmett S. Finley Elementary a good school?
Emmett S. Finley Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Holtville Unified?
Besides Emmett S. Finley Elementary, Holtville Unified also operates Holtville High (516 students), Holtville Middle (257 students), and Pine Elementary (210 students). See the Holtville 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.