Enrollment
537
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · El Cerrito, CA
Fairmont Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Fairmont Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063255005029
👥 S:T ratio 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 24
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fairmont Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #3 of 3
- elementary schools in El Cerrito · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.4:1
- students per teacher
- 41.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Fairmont Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fairmont Elementary ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in El Cerrito, CA.
School address
District: West Contra Costa Unified · California
NCES ID 063255005029 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fairmont Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fairmont Elementary
Fairmont Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in El Cerrito, California, enrolling 537 students.
At 22.4:1, 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 below the state's typical profile, with 41.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 537 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 1,397 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #361.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (34%) and Asian (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 75/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among El Cerrito's elementary schools, it stands alongside Harding Elementary (481 students): Fairmont Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.4:1 vs 24.1:1).
West Contra Costa Unified also operates El Cerrito High (1,460 students) and Richmond High (1,280 students) alongside Fairmont 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 Fairmont Elementary compares
Fairmont 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 | 22.4:1 | ▲ 4% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.7% | ▼ 25% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 537 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.4:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
537
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% 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
22.4:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 57% in California - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
30.4%
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
$17,537
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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: 0.9 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 33.9%
Asian 27.6%
White 20.3%
Two or More 12.1%
African American 5.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 33.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 75.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 75.0, Fairmont Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West Contra Costa Unified, which includes Fairmont Elementary.
$17,537
Per student
+6%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.1%
State 46.9%
Federal 11.0%
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 Fairmont Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Cerrito High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Richmond High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pinole Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| De Anza High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hercules High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fairmont Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,460
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,280
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,245
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,047
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 767
- Students per teacher
- 27.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary schools in El Cerrito
2 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 (~537 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fairmont Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Fairmont Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- West Contra Costa 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 Fairmont Elementary
How many students attend Fairmont Elementary?
Fairmont Elementary has 537 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in El Cerrito, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fairmont Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Fairmont Elementary is 22.4:1, which is 4% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 43% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Fairmont Elementary?
41.7% of students at Fairmont Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fairmont Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Fairmont Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 33.9% of enrollment, in El Cerrito, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 75.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fairmont Elementary?
Fairmont Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Fairmont Elementary rank among elementary schools in El Cerrito?
By Resource Investment Index, Fairmont Elementary ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in El Cerrito, 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 El Cerrito on the city page.
Is Fairmont Elementary a good school?
Fairmont Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more 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 West Contra Costa Unified?
Besides Fairmont Elementary, West Contra Costa Unified also operates El Cerrito High (1,460 students), Richmond High (1,280 students), and Pinole Valley High (1,245 students). See the West Contra Costa 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.