Enrollment
324
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Sunnyvale, CA
Fairwood Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Fairwood Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063846007433
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 75
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fairwood Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #1 of 13
- elementary schools in Sunnyvale · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18:1
- small classes for California
- 22.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Fairwood Elementary has class sizes smaller than 79% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fairwood Elementary ranks #1 of 13 elementary schools in Sunnyvale, CA.
School address
District: Sunnyvale · California
NCES ID 063846007433 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fairwood Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fairwood Elementary
Fairwood Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Sunnyvale, California, enrolling 324 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 22.9% free-meal eligibility runs 59% below the California average.
Enrollment of 324 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 687 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #93.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (36%) and Asian (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
10.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Sunnyvale spends $21,963 per pupil, 33% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Sunnyvale's elementary schools, it stands alongside Louis E. Stocklmeir Elementary (840 students): Fairwood Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18:1 vs 25.5:1).
Sunnyvale also operates Sunnyvale Middle (1,053 students) and Ellis Elementary (768 students) alongside Fairwood 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 Fairwood Elementary compares
Fairwood 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 | 18:1 | ▼ 16% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.9% | ▼ 59% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 324 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
324
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 21% in California - lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
10.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$21,963
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 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 36.1%
Asian 31.5%
White 17.3%
Two or More 11.1%
African American 3.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 36.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.7, Fairwood Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sunnyvale, which includes Fairwood Elementary.
$21,963
Per student
+33%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 82.4%
State 12.6%
Federal 5.0%
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 Fairwood Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnyvale Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ellis Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Columbia Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cherry Chase Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cumberland Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fairwood Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,053
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 768
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 697
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 622
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 586
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar elementary schools in Sunnyvale
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Louis E. Stocklmeir Elementary
Standard public school
840 students 25.5:1 students per teacher
Ellis Elementary
Standard public school
768 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Cherry Chase Elementary
Standard public school
622 students 21.4:1 students per teacher
Cumberland Elementary
Standard public school
586 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Ponderosa Elementary
Standard public school
524 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Bishop Elementary
Standard public school
465 students 21.1:1 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 (~324 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fairwood Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Fairwood Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Sunnyvale'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 Fairwood Elementary
How many students attend Fairwood Elementary?
Fairwood Elementary has 324 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Sunnyvale, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fairwood Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Fairwood Elementary is 18:1, which is 16% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 15% 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 Fairwood Elementary?
22.9% of students at Fairwood Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fairwood Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Fairwood Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 36.1% of enrollment, in Sunnyvale, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fairwood Elementary?
Fairwood Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Fairwood Elementary rank among elementary schools in Sunnyvale?
By Resource Investment Index, Fairwood Elementary ranks #1 of 13 elementary schools in Sunnyvale, 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 Sunnyvale on the city page.
Is Fairwood Elementary a good school?
Fairwood Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of California schools. 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 Sunnyvale?
Besides Fairwood Elementary, Sunnyvale also operates Sunnyvale Middle (1,053 students), Ellis Elementary (768 students), and Columbia Middle (697 students). See the Sunnyvale 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.