Enrollment
346
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Ridgecrest, CA
Gateway Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Gateway Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 17/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063680000434
👥 S:T ratio 8
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gateway Elementary earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #5 of 6
- elementary schools in Ridgecrest · Resource Index
- 17
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.1:1
- students per teacher
- 44.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Gateway Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gateway Elementary ranks #5 of 6 elementary schools in Ridgecrest, CA.
School address
District: Sierra Sands Unified · California
NCES ID 063680000434 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gateway Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gateway Elementary
Gateway Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Ridgecrest, California, enrolling 346 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.1:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 44.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 346 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 997 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #855, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (47%) and Hispanic or Latino (34%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 346 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.8% 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): Gateway Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (23.1:1 vs 25:1).
Sierra Sands Unified also operates Burroughs High (1,536 students) and Murray Middle (643 students) alongside Gateway 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 Gateway Elementary compares
Gateway 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 | 23.1:1 | ▲ 7% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.0% | ▼ 21% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 346 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.1:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
346
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% 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
23.1:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 63% in California - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
40.8%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 346 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 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 46.5%
Hispanic or Latino 33.8%
African American 8.4%
Two or More 7.2%
Asian 2.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 46.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.7, Gateway 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 Gateway 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 Gateway Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burroughs High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Murray Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Las Flores Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Faller Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| James Monroe Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gateway 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
- 516
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 490
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
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
Faller Elementary
Standard public school
516 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
Richmond Elementary
Standard public school
364 students 15.8:1 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 (~346 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gateway Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Gateway 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 Gateway Elementary
How many students attend Gateway Elementary?
Gateway Elementary has 346 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Ridgecrest, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gateway Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Gateway Elementary is 23.1:1, which is 7% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 47% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Gateway Elementary?
44.0% of students at Gateway Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gateway Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Gateway Elementary is White at 46.5% of enrollment, in Ridgecrest, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gateway Elementary?
Gateway Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 17/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Gateway Elementary rank among elementary schools in Ridgecrest?
By Resource Investment Index, Gateway Elementary ranks #5 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 Gateway Elementary a good school?
Gateway Elementary earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Gateway 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.