Elementary school (grades K-5) · Santa Maria, CA

Fairlawn Elementary

Federal NCES profile for Fairlawn 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 060558009316
0/100100/10038/100
👥 S:T ratio
13
🌟 Gifted program
70
📋 Attendance
30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Fairlawn Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.

#1 of 24
elementary schools in Santa Maria · Resource Index
38
Resource Index · Typical
21.7:1
students per teacher
89.4%
free-lunch eligible

Fairlawn Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Fairlawn Elementary ranks #1 of 24 elementary schools in Santa Maria, CA.

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-30 students YoY

Fairlawn Elementary held near 716 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-30 headcount).

Teacher FTE added 33.4 → 35.8 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

-30 students YoY 060558009316 · Santa Maria, CA Elementary · MID · TRAD

716 enr · 21.7:1 · 89.4% lunch · RII 38

Nearest enrollment peer: Jimenez Roberto and Dr. Francisco Elementary (1,177 students)

Fairlawn Elementary held near 716 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-30 headcount). Teacher FTE added 33.4 → 35.8 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · California schools → · Find another →

Fairlawn Elementary in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Fairlawn Elementary reports 716 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Fairlawn Elementary compares

Fairlawn Elementary held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs California and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs California California avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 21.7:1 ▲ 1% 21.5:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 89.4% ▲ 61% 55.5% 51.7%
Enrollment 716 top 22% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

21.7:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
716
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
89.4%
free-lunch eligible - 61% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.7:1
students per teacher - 1% above state mean
Top 50% in California - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
27.9%
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
$16,207
per pupil, district-wide - below California avg of $18,665
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
10
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

Hispanic or Latino 98.5%
White 0.6%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 98.5% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 3.0/100

Simpson diversity index - at 3.0, Fairlawn Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

District finance for Santa Maria-Bonita reports $16,207 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Fairlawn Elementary Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Jimenez Roberto and Dr. Francisco Elementary Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Bruce (Robert) Elementary Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Alvin Elementary Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Fesler (Isaac) Junior High Larger Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Fairlawn Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Santa Maria-Bonita · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar elementary schools in Santa Maria

6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.

Nationwide elementary schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Frequently asked questions about Fairlawn Elementary

How many students attend Fairlawn Elementary?

Fairlawn Elementary has 716 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Santa Maria, CA. CCD year-over-year: 746 (2022-23) → 716 (2023-24), nearly flat (-30).

What is the student-teacher ratio at Fairlawn Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Fairlawn Elementary is 21.7:1, which is 1% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 38% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Fairlawn Elementary?

89.4% of students at Fairlawn Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fairlawn Elementary?

The largest demographic group at Fairlawn Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 98.5% of enrollment, in Santa Maria, CA.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Fairlawn Elementary?

Fairlawn Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Fairlawn Elementary rank among elementary schools in Santa Maria?

By Resource Investment Index, Fairlawn Elementary ranks #1 of 24 elementary schools in Santa Maria, 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 Santa Maria on the city page.

What other schools are in Santa Maria-Bonita?

Besides Fairlawn Elementary, Santa Maria-Bonita also operates Jimenez Roberto and Dr. Francisco Elementary (1,177 students), Bruce (Robert) Elementary (1,050 students), and Alvin Elementary (998 students). See the Santa Maria-Bonita district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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