Enrollment
834
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Placentia, CA
Golden Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Golden Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063066004763
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 85
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Golden Elementary earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of California schools.
- #3 of 9
- elementary schools in Placentia · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 29.8:1
- large classes for California
- 13.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Golden Elementary has class sizes larger than 95% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Golden Elementary ranks #3 of 9 elementary schools in Placentia, CA.
School address
District: Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified · California
NCES ID 063066004763 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
29.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+39% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-76% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Golden Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Golden Elementary
Golden Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Placentia, California, enrolling 834 students.
Class loads run heavy: 29.8:1 is larger than about 95% of California schools and 39% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 13.2% free-meal eligibility runs 76% below the California average.
Enrollment of 834 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.
Against 821 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #297.
Its student body is led by Asian (53%) and White (19%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 834 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Placentia's elementary schools, it stands alongside John O. Tynes Elementary (591 students): Golden Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (29.8:1 vs 21.1:1).
Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified also operates Valencia High (2,411 students) and El Dorado High (1,998 students) alongside Golden 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 Golden Elementary compares
Golden 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 | 29.8:1 | ▲ 39% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.2% | ▼ 76% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 834 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
29.8:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
834
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 76% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
29.8:1
students per teacher
- 39% above state mean
Top 95% in California - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
6.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,989
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 834 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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
Asian 53.4%
White 19.4%
Hispanic or Latino 17.1%
Two or More 8.8%
African American 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Asian at 53.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.0, Golden Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified, which includes Golden Elementary.
$13,989
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 50.7%
State 41.2%
Federal 8.1%
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 Golden Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valencia High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| El Dorado High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Yorba Linda High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Esperanza High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Travis Ranch | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Golden Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,411
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,998
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,631
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,393
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,197
- Students per teacher
- 23.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar elementary schools in Placentia
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
John O. Tynes Elementary
Standard public school
591 students 21.1:1 students per teacher
Van Buren Elementary
Standard public school
538 students 24.5:1 students per teacher
Brookhaven Elementary
Standard public school
482 students 28.4:1 students per teacher
Sierra Vista Elementary
Standard public school
454 students 26.7:1 students per teacher
Charles Wagner Elementary
Standard public school
440 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Morse Elementary
Standard public school
382 students 29.4:1 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 (~834 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~29.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Golden Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Golden Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Placentia-Yorba Linda 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 Golden Elementary
How many students attend Golden Elementary?
Golden Elementary has 834 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Placentia, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Golden Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Golden Elementary is 29.8:1, which is 39% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 90% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Golden Elementary?
13.2% of students at Golden Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Golden Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Golden Elementary is Asian at 53.4% of enrollment, in Placentia, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Golden Elementary?
Golden Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical 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 Golden Elementary rank among elementary schools in Placentia?
By Resource Investment Index, Golden Elementary ranks #3 of 9 elementary schools in Placentia, 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 Placentia on the city page.
Is Golden Elementary a good school?
Golden Elementary earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% 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 Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified?
Besides Golden Elementary, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified also operates Valencia High (2,411 students), El Dorado High (1,998 students), and Yorba Linda High (1,631 students). See the Placentia-Yorba Linda 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.