Enrollment
274
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Oroville, CA
Golden Hills Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Golden Hills Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062954011570
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Golden Hills Elementary earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of California schools.
- #12 of 15
- elementary schools in Oroville · Resource Index
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 27.4:1
- large classes for California
- 68.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Golden Hills Elementary has class sizes larger than 91% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Golden Hills Elementary ranks #12 of 15 elementary schools in Oroville, CA.
School address
District: Palermo Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 062954011570 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
+23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Golden Hills Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Golden Hills Elementary
Golden Hills Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Oroville, California, enrolling 274 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.4:1 is larger than about 91% of California schools and 27% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 68.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 274 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,000 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #874, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (43%) and Hispanic or Latino (38%) (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 343 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Oroville's elementary schools, it stands alongside Helen M. Wilcox Elementary (592 students): Golden Hills Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (27.4:1 vs 24.7:1).
Palermo Union Elementary also operates Helen M. Wilcox Elementary (592 students) and Palermo (458 students) alongside Golden Hills 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 Hills Elementary compares
Golden Hills 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 | 27.4:1 | ▲ 27% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.3% | ▲ 23% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 274 | top 77% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.4:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
274
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
68.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% 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
27.4:1
students per teacher
- 27% above state mean
Top 91% in California - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
45.6%
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
$15,548
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
Counselors0.8 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 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 43.1%
Hispanic or Latino 38.0%
Two or More 11.3%
Asian 3.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.6%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: White at 43.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.4, Golden Hills Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Palermo Union Elementary, which includes Golden Hills Elementary.
$15,548
Per student
-6%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.1%
State 71.8%
Federal 15.1%
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 Hills Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helen M. Wilcox Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Palermo | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Honcut | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Palermo Union Community Day (K-8) | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Golden Hills Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 592
- Students per teacher
- 24.7:1
- Resource Index
- 8/100
- Enrollment
- 458
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 14
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 5
- Students per teacher
- 5:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar elementary schools in Oroville
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Helen M. Wilcox Elementary
Standard public school
592 students 24.7:1 students per teacher
Stream Charter
Standard public school
515 students 30.3:1 students per teacher
Ophir Elementary
Standard public school
452 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Stanford Avenue Elementary
Standard public school
403 students 21.2:1 students per teacher
Sierra Avenue Elementary
Standard public school
365 students 21.5:1 students per teacher
Plumas Avenue Elementary
Standard public school
322 students 24.8:1 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 (~274 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~27.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Golden Hills Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Golden Hills Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Palermo Union 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 Golden Hills Elementary
How many students attend Golden Hills Elementary?
Golden Hills Elementary has 274 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Oroville, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Golden Hills Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Golden Hills Elementary is 27.4:1, which is 27% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 75% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Golden Hills Elementary?
68.3% of students at Golden Hills Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Golden Hills Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Golden Hills Elementary is White at 43.1% of enrollment, in Oroville, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Golden Hills Elementary?
Golden Hills Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (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 Golden Hills Elementary rank among elementary schools in Oroville?
By Resource Investment Index, Golden Hills Elementary ranks #12 of 15 elementary schools in Oroville, 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 Oroville on the city page.
Is Golden Hills Elementary a good school?
Golden Hills Elementary earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% 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 Palermo Union Elementary?
Besides Golden Hills Elementary, Palermo Union Elementary also operates Helen M. Wilcox Elementary (592 students), Palermo (458 students), and Honcut (14 students). See the Palermo Union 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.