Enrollment
577
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Alhambra, CA
Garfield Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Garfield Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060015310937
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Garfield Elementary earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of California schools.
- #1 of 9
- elementary schools in Alhambra · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18:1
- small classes for California
- 49.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Garfield Elementary has class sizes smaller than 79% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Garfield Elementary ranks #1 of 9 elementary schools in Alhambra, CA.
School address
District: Alhambra Unified · California
NCES ID 060015310937 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Garfield Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Garfield Elementary
Garfield Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Alhambra, California, enrolling 577 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 49.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 577 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,504 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #55, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (54%) and Asian (34%) (diversity index 58/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Alhambra's elementary schools, it stands alongside Martha Baldwin Elementary (923 students): Garfield Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18:1 vs 25.6:1).
Alhambra Unified also operates Mark Keppel High (2,201 students) and Alhambra High (2,056 students) alongside Garfield 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 Garfield Elementary compares
Garfield 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 | 49.5% | ▼ 11% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 577 | top 35% | - | - |
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.
577
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% 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
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
24.1%
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
$16,930
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 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
Hispanic or Latino 54.4%
Asian 33.8%
Two or More 5.9%
White 4.3%
African American 1.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 54.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.4, Garfield Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alhambra Unified, which includes Garfield Elementary.
$16,930
Per student
+3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.5%
State 63.4%
Federal 14.1%
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 Garfield Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Keppel High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alhambra High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| San Gabriel High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Martha Baldwin Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Monterey Highlands Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Garfield Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,201
- Students per teacher
- 26.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,056
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,761
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 923
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 917
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar elementary schools in Alhambra
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Martha Baldwin Elementary
Standard public school
923 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
William Northrup Elementary
Standard public school
814 students 23.3:1 students per teacher
Fremont Elementary
Standard public school
654 students 24.2:1 students per teacher
Ramona Elementary
Standard public school
650 students 22.4:1 students per teacher
Park Elementary
Standard public school
581 students 21.5:1 students per teacher
Marguerita Elementary
Standard public school
445 students 21.2:1 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 (~577 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Garfield Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Garfield Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Alhambra 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 Garfield Elementary
How many students attend Garfield Elementary?
Garfield Elementary has 577 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Alhambra, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Garfield Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Garfield 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 Garfield Elementary?
49.5% of students at Garfield Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Garfield Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Garfield Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 54.4% of enrollment, in Alhambra, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Garfield Elementary?
Garfield Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Garfield Elementary rank among elementary schools in Alhambra?
By Resource Investment Index, Garfield Elementary ranks #1 of 9 elementary schools in Alhambra, 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 Alhambra on the city page.
Is Garfield Elementary a good school?
Garfield Elementary earns 46/100 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 Alhambra Unified?
Besides Garfield Elementary, Alhambra Unified also operates Mark Keppel High (2,201 students), Alhambra High (2,056 students), and San Gabriel High (1,761 students). See the Alhambra 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.