Enrollment
353
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Dixon, CA
Gretchen Higgins Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Gretchen Higgins Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 8/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061128010679
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gretchen Higgins Elementary earns 8/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of California schools.
- #4 of 4
- elementary schools in Dixon · Resource Index
- 8
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.2:1
- large classes for California
- 50.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Gretchen Higgins Elementary has class sizes larger than 81% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gretchen Higgins Elementary ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Dixon, CA.
School address
District: Dixon Unified · California
NCES ID 061128010679 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gretchen Higgins Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gretchen Higgins Elementary
Gretchen Higgins Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Dixon, California, enrolling 353 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.2:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 50.4% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 353 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 100% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,134 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,126, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (74%) and White (16%) (diversity index 42/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 706 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Dixon's elementary schools, it stands alongside Tremont Elementary (514 students): Gretchen Higgins Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (25.2:1 vs 30.2:1).
Dixon Unified also operates Dixon High (990 students) and John Knight Middle (634 students) alongside Gretchen Higgins 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 Gretchen Higgins Elementary compares
Gretchen Higgins 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 | 25.2:1 | ▲ 17% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.4% | ▼ 9% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 353 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.2:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
353
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% 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
25.2:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 81% in California - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
40.2%
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
$13,379
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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
Hispanic or Latino 73.9%
White 16.1%
Two or More 6.8%
African American 2.0%
Asian 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 73.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.3, Gretchen Higgins Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dixon Unified, which includes Gretchen Higgins Elementary.
$13,379
Per student
-19%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.9%
State 51.6%
Federal 11.5%
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 Gretchen Higgins Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dixon High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John Knight Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tremont Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Anderson (Linford L.) Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Maine Prairie High (Continuation) | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gretchen Higgins Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 990
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 634
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 514
- Students per teacher
- 30.2:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
- Enrollment
- 442
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 84
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar elementary schools in Dixon
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 (~353 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gretchen Higgins Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Gretchen Higgins Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Dixon 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 Gretchen Higgins Elementary
How many students attend Gretchen Higgins Elementary?
Gretchen Higgins Elementary has 353 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Dixon, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gretchen Higgins Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Gretchen Higgins Elementary is 25.2:1, which is 17% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 61% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Gretchen Higgins Elementary?
50.4% of students at Gretchen Higgins Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gretchen Higgins Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Gretchen Higgins Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 73.9% of enrollment, in Dixon, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gretchen Higgins Elementary?
Gretchen Higgins Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 8/100 (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 Gretchen Higgins Elementary rank among elementary schools in Dixon?
By Resource Investment Index, Gretchen Higgins Elementary ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Dixon, 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 Dixon on the city page.
Is Gretchen Higgins Elementary a good school?
Gretchen Higgins Elementary earns 8/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% 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 Dixon Unified?
Besides Gretchen Higgins Elementary, Dixon Unified also operates Dixon High (990 students), John Knight Middle (634 students), and Tremont Elementary (514 students). See the Dixon 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.