Enrollment
341
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bellflower, CA
Ernie Pyle Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Ernie Pyle Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060444000403
👥 S:T ratio 15
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 66
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ernie Pyle Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #2 of 6
- elementary schools in Bellflower · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.3:1
- students per teacher
- 64.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Ernie Pyle Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ernie Pyle Elementary ranks #2 of 6 elementary schools in Bellflower, CA.
School address
District: Bellflower Unified · California
NCES ID 060444000403 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ernie Pyle Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ernie Pyle Elementary
Ernie Pyle Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Bellflower, California, enrolling 341 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 64.7% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 341 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,427 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #215.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (72%) and African American (13%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 171 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Bellflower's elementary schools, it stands alongside Washington Elementary (579 students): Ernie Pyle Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.3:1 vs 18.7:1).
Bellflower Unified also operates Mayfair High (2,422 students) and Bellflower High (1,997 students) alongside Ernie Pyle 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 Ernie Pyle Elementary compares
Ernie Pyle 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 | 64.7% | ▲ 17% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 341 | top 69% | - | - |
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.
341
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
21.3:1
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
39.9%
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
$15,917
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 171 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.5 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 71.6%
African American 12.6%
Asian 8.8%
Two or More 4.1%
White 2.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 71.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.1, Ernie Pyle Elementary is about as mixed as the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bellflower Unified, which includes Ernie Pyle Elementary.
$15,917
Per student
-4%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.9%
State 70.8%
Federal 14.4%
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 Ernie Pyle Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mayfair High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bellflower High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Intensive Learning Center | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Washington Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Esther Lindstrom Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ernie Pyle Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,997
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 646
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 579
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 552
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar elementary schools in Bellflower
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Washington Elementary
Standard public school
579 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Thomas Jefferson Elementary
Standard public school
457 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Ramona Elementary
Standard public school
454 students 23.9:1 students per teacher
Frank E. Woodruff Elementary
Standard public school
444 students 24.7:1 students per teacher
Albert Baxter Elementary
Standard public school
309 students 28.1:1 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 (~341 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ernie Pyle Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Ernie Pyle Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Bellflower 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 Ernie Pyle Elementary
How many students attend Ernie Pyle Elementary?
Ernie Pyle Elementary has 341 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bellflower, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ernie Pyle Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ernie Pyle 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 Ernie Pyle Elementary?
64.7% of students at Ernie Pyle Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ernie Pyle Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ernie Pyle Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 71.6% of enrollment, in Bellflower, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ernie Pyle Elementary?
Ernie Pyle Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Ernie Pyle Elementary rank among elementary schools in Bellflower?
By Resource Investment Index, Ernie Pyle Elementary ranks #2 of 6 elementary schools in Bellflower, 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 Bellflower on the city page.
Is Ernie Pyle Elementary a good school?
Ernie Pyle Elementary earns 38/100 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 Bellflower Unified?
Besides Ernie Pyle Elementary, Bellflower Unified also operates Mayfair High (2,422 students), Bellflower High (1,997 students), and Intensive Learning Center (646 students). See the Bellflower 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.