Enrollment
283
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Eureka, CA
Freshwater Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Freshwater Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061452001702
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 92
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Freshwater Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of California schools.
- #2 of 11
- elementary schools in Eureka · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.7:1
- large classes for California
- 36.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Freshwater Elementary has class sizes larger than 84% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Freshwater Elementary ranks #2 of 11 elementary schools in Eureka, CA.
School address
District: Freshwater Elementary · California
NCES ID 061452001702 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Freshwater Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Freshwater Elementary
Freshwater Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Eureka, California, enrolling 283 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.7:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 36.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 283 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 651 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #120.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Two or More (12%) (diversity index 44/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.2% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Eureka's elementary schools, it stands alongside Washington Elementary (426 students): Freshwater Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.7:1 vs 22.4:1).
Its district, Freshwater Elementary, also runs Freshwater Charter Middle (51 students).
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 Freshwater Elementary compares
Freshwater 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 | 25.7:1 | ▲ 20% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.7% | ▼ 34% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 283 | top 76% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.7:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
283
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
25.7:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 84% in California - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
3.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$14,407
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
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 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 72.8%
Two or More 12.0%
Hispanic or Latino 11.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: White at 72.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.2, Freshwater Elementary is about as mixed as the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Freshwater Elementary, which includes Freshwater Elementary.
$14,407
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.6%
State 59.5%
Federal 13.9%
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 Freshwater Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freshwater Charter Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Freshwater Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 51
- Students per teacher
- 25.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar elementary schools in Eureka
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Washington Elementary
Standard public school
426 students 22.4:1 students per teacher
Alice Birney Elementary
Standard public school
375 students 23.4:1 students per teacher
Lafayette Elementary
Standard public school
324 students 32.4:1 students per teacher
Cutten Elementary
Standard public school
288 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Grant Elementary
Standard public school
278 students 25.3:1 students per teacher
Ridgewood Elementary
Standard public school
260 students 21.7:1 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 (~283 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Freshwater Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Freshwater Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Freshwater Elementary'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 Freshwater Elementary
How many students attend Freshwater Elementary?
Freshwater Elementary has 283 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Eureka, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Freshwater Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Freshwater Elementary is 25.7:1, which is 20% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 64% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Freshwater Elementary?
36.7% of students at Freshwater Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Freshwater Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Freshwater Elementary is White at 72.8% of enrollment, in Eureka, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Freshwater Elementary?
Freshwater Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Freshwater Elementary rank among elementary schools in Eureka?
By Resource Investment Index, Freshwater Elementary ranks #2 of 11 elementary schools in Eureka, 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 Eureka on the city page.
Is Freshwater Elementary a good school?
Freshwater Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% 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 Freshwater Elementary?
Besides Freshwater Elementary, Freshwater Elementary also operates Freshwater Charter Middle (51 students). See the Freshwater Elementary 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.