Enrollment
215
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Los Angeles, CA
Forty-Second Street Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Forty-Second Street Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062271003016
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Forty-Second Street Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of California schools.
- #132 of 344
- elementary schools in Los Angeles · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.9:1
- small classes for California
- 92.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Forty-Second Street Elementary has class sizes smaller than 79% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Forty-Second Street Elementary ranks #132 of 344 elementary schools in Los Angeles, CA.
School address
District: Los Angeles Unified · California
NCES ID 062271003016 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
92.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
+66% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Forty-Second Street Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Forty-Second Street Elementary
Forty-Second Street Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Los Angeles, California, enrolling 215 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 17.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 92.3% of students qualify for free meals, 66% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 215 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 352 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #163.
Its student body is led by African American (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (31%) (diversity index 53/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 59.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Los Angeles Unified spends $21,940 per pupil, 33% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Los Angeles's elementary schools, it stands alongside Wish Community (860 students): Forty-Second Street Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.9:1 vs 23.2:1).
Los Angeles Unified also operates Grover Cleveland Charter High (2,719 students) and North Hollywood Senior High (2,444 students) alongside Forty-Second Street 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 Forty-Second Street Elementary compares
Forty-Second Street 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 | 17.9:1 | ▼ 17% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 92.3% | ▲ 66% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 215 | top 82% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.9:1
Leaner classes than 25% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
215
Bigger than 21% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
92.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 66% 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
17.9:1
students per teacher
- 17% 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
59.5%
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
$21,940
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
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
African American 60.9%
Hispanic or Latino 30.7%
Two or More 5.1%
White 2.3%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 60.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.2, Forty-Second Street Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Los Angeles Unified, which includes Forty-Second Street Elementary.
$21,940
Per student
+33%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.3%
State 54.5%
Federal 19.2%
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 Forty-Second Street Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grover Cleveland Charter High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Hollywood Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Phineas Banning Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| San Pedro Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Venice Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Forty-Second Street Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,719
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,444
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,398
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,293
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar elementary schools in Los Angeles
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Wish Community
Standard public school
860 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
South Park Elementary
Standard public school
825 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Union Avenue Elementary
Standard public school
809 students 20.7:1 students per teacher
One Hundred Seventh Street Elementary
Standard public school
804 students 21.2:1 students per teacher
Kipp Compton Community
Standard public school
783 students 52.2:1 students per teacher
Ninety-Third Street Elementary
Standard public school
772 students 18.4:1 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 (~215 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Forty-Second Street Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Forty-Second Street Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Los Angeles 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 Forty-Second Street Elementary
How many students attend Forty-Second Street Elementary?
Forty-Second Street Elementary has 215 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Los Angeles, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Forty-Second Street Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Forty-Second Street Elementary is 17.9:1, which is 17% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 14% 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 Forty-Second Street Elementary?
92.3% of students at Forty-Second Street Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Forty-Second Street Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Forty-Second Street Elementary is African American at 60.9% of enrollment, in Los Angeles, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Forty-Second Street Elementary?
Forty-Second Street Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Forty-Second Street Elementary rank among elementary schools in Los Angeles?
By Resource Investment Index, Forty-Second Street Elementary ranks #132 of 344 elementary schools in Los Angeles, 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 Los Angeles on the city page.
Is Forty-Second Street Elementary a good school?
Forty-Second Street Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% 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 Los Angeles Unified?
Besides Forty-Second Street Elementary, Los Angeles Unified also operates Grover Cleveland Charter High (2,719 students), North Hollywood Senior High (2,444 students), and Phineas Banning Senior High (2,422 students). See the Los Angeles 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.