Enrollment
663
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Tehachapi, CA
Golden Hills Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Golden Hills Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063888008994
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Golden Hills Elementary earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of California schools.
- #4 of 4
- elementary schools in Tehachapi · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.5:1
- large classes for California
- 40.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Golden Hills Elementary has class sizes larger than 82% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Golden Hills Elementary ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Tehachapi, CA.
School address
District: Tehachapi Unified · California
NCES ID 063888008994 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-26% 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 mid-sized elementary school in Tehachapi, California, enrolling 663 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.5:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 40.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 663 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,354 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #928.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (48%) (diversity index 55/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 76.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Tehachapi's elementary schools, it stands alongside Tompkins Elementary (615 students): Golden Hills Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.5:1 vs 22.8:1).
Tehachapi Unified also operates Tehachapi High (1,260 students) and Jacobsen Middle (925 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 | 25.5:1 | ▲ 19% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.9% | ▼ 26% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 663 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.5:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
663
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
40.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
25.5:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 82% in California - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
76.8%
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
$13,678
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 + 6 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
White 47.8%
Hispanic or Latino 47.5%
Two or More 3.2%
African American 1.2%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 47.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.5, Golden Hills Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tehachapi Unified, which includes Golden Hills Elementary.
$13,678
Per student
-17%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.2%
State 55.6%
Federal 14.2%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tehachapi High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jacobsen Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tompkins Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cummings Valley Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tehachapi Independent Learning Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | 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
- 1,260
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 925
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 615
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 560
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 108
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar elementary schools in Tehachapi
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~663 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Golden Hills Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Golden Hills Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Tehachapi 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 Hills Elementary
How many students attend Golden Hills Elementary?
Golden Hills Elementary has 663 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Tehachapi, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Golden Hills Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Golden Hills Elementary is 25.5:1, which is 19% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 62% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Golden Hills Elementary?
40.9% 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 47.8% of enrollment, in Tehachapi, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Golden Hills Elementary?
Golden Hills Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (lower 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 Golden Hills Elementary rank among elementary schools in Tehachapi?
By Resource Investment Index, Golden Hills Elementary ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Tehachapi, 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 Tehachapi on the city page.
Is Golden Hills Elementary a good school?
Golden Hills Elementary earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% 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 Tehachapi Unified?
Besides Golden Hills Elementary, Tehachapi Unified also operates Tehachapi High (1,260 students), Jacobsen Middle (925 students), and Tompkins Elementary (615 students). See the Tehachapi 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.