Enrollment
516
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Ridgecrest, CA
Faller Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Faller Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 18/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063680006242
👥 S:T ratio 2
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Faller Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of California schools.
- #4 of 6
- elementary schools in Ridgecrest · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.6:1
- large classes for California
- 46.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Faller Elementary has class sizes larger than 76% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Faller Elementary ranks #4 of 6 elementary schools in Ridgecrest, CA.
School address
District: Sierra Sands Unified · California
NCES ID 063680006242 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
-17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Faller Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Faller Elementary
Faller Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Ridgecrest, California, enrolling 516 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.6:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 46.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 516 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.
Among 1,407 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,123, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (43%) and Hispanic or Latino (38%) (diversity index 66/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Ridgecrest's elementary schools, it stands alongside Las Flores Elementary (526 students): Faller Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24.6:1 vs 25:1).
Sierra Sands Unified also operates Burroughs High (1,536 students) and Murray Middle (643 students) alongside Faller 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 Faller Elementary compares
Faller 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 | 24.6:1 | ▲ 14% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.1% | ▼ 17% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 516 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.6:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
516
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
24.6:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 76% in California - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
31.0%
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
$14,502
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
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
1
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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
White 43.0%
Hispanic or Latino 38.4%
Two or More 7.6%
African American 7.2%
Asian 2.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 43.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.6, Faller Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sierra Sands Unified, which includes Faller Elementary.
$14,502
Per student
-12%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.0%
State 69.4%
Federal 13.6%
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 Faller Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burroughs High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Murray Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Las Flores Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| James Monroe Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Richmond Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Faller Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,536
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 643
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 526
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 490
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 364
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar elementary schools in Ridgecrest
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Las Flores Elementary
Standard public school
526 students 25:1 students per teacher
Richmond Elementary
Standard public school
364 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Gateway Elementary
Standard public school
346 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
Pierce Elementary
Standard public school
297 students 19.8:1 students per teacher
Ridgecrest Elem Acad for Language Music and Sci
Standard public school
239 students 26.6:1 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 (~516 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Faller Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Faller Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Sierra Sands 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 Faller Elementary
How many students attend Faller Elementary?
Faller Elementary has 516 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Ridgecrest, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Faller Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Faller Elementary is 24.6:1, which is 14% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 57% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Faller Elementary?
46.1% of students at Faller Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Faller Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Faller Elementary is White at 43.0% of enrollment, in Ridgecrest, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Faller Elementary?
Faller Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (lower 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 Faller Elementary rank among elementary schools in Ridgecrest?
By Resource Investment Index, Faller Elementary ranks #4 of 6 elementary schools in Ridgecrest, 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 Ridgecrest on the city page.
Is Faller Elementary a good school?
Faller Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of 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 Sierra Sands Unified?
Besides Faller Elementary, Sierra Sands Unified also operates Burroughs High (1,536 students), Murray Middle (643 students), and Las Flores Elementary (526 students). See the Sierra Sands 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.