Enrollment
351
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Madera, CA
Gould Educational Center
Federal NCES profile for Gould Educational Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 069101707126
👥 S:T ratio 68
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 82
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gould Educational Center earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of California schools.
- #6 of 10
- schools in Madera · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 8:1
- small classes for California
- 66.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Gould Educational Center has class sizes smaller than 97% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gould Educational Center ranks #6 of 10 schools in Madera, CA.
School address
District: Madera County Superintendent of Schools · California
NCES ID 069101707126 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-63% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
+21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gould Educational Center compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gould Educational Center
Gould Educational Center is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Madera, California, enrolling 351 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8:1, Gould Educational Center is leaner than roughly 97% of California schools and 63% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 66.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 351 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,516 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #87, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (76%) and White (17%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 88 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 82.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Madera County Superintendent of Schools spends $64,738 per pupil, 292% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 21.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Madera's public schools, it stands alongside Duane E. Furman Independent Study (348 students): Gould Educational Center is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (8:1 vs 16.6:1).
Madera County Superintendent of Schools also operates Pioneer Technical Center (207 students) and Madera County Independent Academy (61 students) alongside Gould Educational Center.
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 Gould Educational Center compares
Gould Educational Center on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 8:1 | ▼ 63% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.9% | ▲ 21% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 351 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8:1
Leaner classes than 95% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
351
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% 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
8:1
students per teacher
- 63% below state mean
Top 3% in California - lower ratio than 97% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
82.6%
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
$64,738
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 88 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 76.4%
White 16.5%
Asian 2.3%
African American 2.0%
Two or More 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 76.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.8, Gould Educational Center is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Madera County Superintendent of Schools, which includes Gould Educational Center.
$64,738
Per student
+292%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+290%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.4%
State 46.1%
Federal 21.5%
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 Gould Educational Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pioneer Technical Center | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Madera County Independent Academy | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Juvenile Hall (Endeavor/Voyager Secondary) | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gould Educational Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 207
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 61
- Students per teacher
- 30.5:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 29
- Students per teacher
- 9.7:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
Similar other schools in Madera
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Duane E. Furman Independent Study
Alternative education program
348 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Pioneer Technical Center
Alternative education program
207 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Madera County Independent Academy
Alternative education program
61 students 30.5:1 students per teacher
Freedom Home
Alternative education program
53 students 53:1 students per teacher
Ripperdan Community Day
Alternative education program
49 students 9.8:1 students per teacher
Juvenile Hall (Endeavor/Voyager Secondary)
Alternative education program
29 students 9.7:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~351 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gould Educational Center's federal record.
- Compare Gould Educational Center against another school. Compare schools
- Madera County Superintendent of Schools'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 Gould Educational Center
How many students attend Gould Educational Center?
Gould Educational Center has 351 students enrolled. It is a special-education school in Madera, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gould Educational Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Gould Educational Center is 8:1, which is 63% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 49% lower 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 Gould Educational Center?
66.9% of students at Gould Educational Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gould Educational Center?
The largest demographic group at Gould Educational Center is Hispanic or Latino at 76.4% of enrollment, in Madera, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gould Educational Center?
Gould Educational Center has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Gould Educational Center rank among schools in Madera?
By Resource Investment Index, Gould Educational Center ranks #6 of 10 schools in Madera, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Madera on the city page.
Is Gould Educational Center a good school?
Gould Educational Center earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% 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 Madera County Superintendent of Schools?
Besides Gould Educational Center, Madera County Superintendent of Schools also operates Pioneer Technical Center (207 students), Madera County Independent Academy (61 students), and Juvenile Hall (Endeavor/Voyager Secondary) (29 students). See the Madera County Superintendent of Schools 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.