Enrollment
430
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Baldwin Park, CA
Foster Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Foster Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060369000330
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Foster Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #5 of 12
- elementary schools in Baldwin Park · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.5:1
- students per teacher
- 77.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Foster Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Foster Elementary ranks #5 of 12 elementary schools in Baldwin Park, CA.
School address
District: Baldwin Park Unified · California
NCES ID 060369000330 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
+39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Foster Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Foster Elementary
Foster Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Baldwin Park, California, enrolling 430 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 20.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 77.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 430 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 2,039 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #760.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 9/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Baldwin Park's elementary schools, it stands alongside Ernest R. Geddes Elementary (662 students): Foster Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.5:1 vs 34.8:1).
Baldwin Park Unified also operates Sierra Vista High (1,650 students) and Baldwin Park High (1,260 students) alongside Foster 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 Foster Elementary compares
Foster 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 | 20.5:1 | ▼ 5% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.4% | ▲ 39% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 430 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.5:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
430
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20.5:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 39% in California - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
44.0%
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
$18,777
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
4
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.7 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 95.1%
Asian 4.4%
White 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 95.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 9.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 9.4, Foster Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Baldwin Park Unified, which includes Foster Elementary.
$18,777
Per student
+14%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.6%
State 64.6%
Federal 14.8%
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 Foster Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra Vista High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Baldwin Park High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sierra Vista Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ernest R. Geddes Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Vineland Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Foster Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,650
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,260
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 709
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 662
- Students per teacher
- 34.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 604
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar elementary schools in Baldwin Park
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Ernest R. Geddes Elementary
Standard public school
662 students 34.8:1 students per teacher
Vineland Elementary
Standard public school
604 students 26.3:1 students per teacher
Bp Stem Academy
Standard public school
565 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Walnut Elementary
Standard public school
541 students 31.8:1 students per teacher
Tracy Elementary
Standard public school
498 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Kenmore Elementary
Standard public school
437 students 23:1 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 (~430 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Foster Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Foster Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Baldwin Park 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 Foster Elementary
How many students attend Foster Elementary?
Foster Elementary has 430 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Baldwin Park, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Foster Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Foster Elementary is 20.5:1, which is 5% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 31% 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 Foster Elementary?
77.4% of students at Foster Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Foster Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Foster Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 95.1% of enrollment, in Baldwin Park, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Foster Elementary?
Foster Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Foster Elementary rank among elementary schools in Baldwin Park?
By Resource Investment Index, Foster Elementary ranks #5 of 12 elementary schools in Baldwin Park, 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 Baldwin Park on the city page.
Is Foster Elementary a good school?
Foster Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools. 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 Baldwin Park Unified?
Besides Foster Elementary, Baldwin Park Unified also operates Sierra Vista High (1,650 students), Baldwin Park High (1,260 students), and Sierra Vista Middle (709 students). See the Baldwin Park 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.