Enrollment
481
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · El Cerrito, CA
Harding Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Harding Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063255005033
👥 S:T ratio 4
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Harding Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in El Cerrito · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.1:1
- large classes for California
- 22.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Harding Elementary has class sizes larger than 72% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Harding Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in El Cerrito, CA.
School address
District: West Contra Costa Unified · California
NCES ID 063255005033 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Harding Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Harding Elementary
Harding Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in El Cerrito, California, enrolling 481 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.1:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 22.9% free-meal eligibility runs 59% below the California average.
With 481 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,267 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #298.
Its student body is led by White (31%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 76/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among El Cerrito's elementary schools, it stands alongside Fairmont Elementary (537 students): Harding Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.1:1 vs 22.4:1).
West Contra Costa Unified also operates El Cerrito High (1,460 students) and Richmond High (1,280 students) alongside Harding 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 Harding Elementary compares
Harding 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 | 24.1:1 | ▲ 12% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.9% | ▼ 59% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 481 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.1:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
481
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% 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
24.1:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 72% in California - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
20.8%
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
$17,537
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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
White 31.0%
Hispanic or Latino 24.2%
Asian 21.7%
Two or More 17.7%
African American 5.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 31.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 76.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 76.4, Harding Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West Contra Costa Unified, which includes Harding Elementary.
$17,537
Per student
+6%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.1%
State 46.9%
Federal 11.0%
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 Harding Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Cerrito High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Richmond High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pinole Valley High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| De Anza High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hercules High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Harding Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,460
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,280
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,245
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,047
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 767
- Students per teacher
- 27.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary schools in El Cerrito
2 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 (~481 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Harding Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Harding Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- West Contra Costa 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 Harding Elementary
How many students attend Harding Elementary?
Harding Elementary has 481 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in El Cerrito, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Harding Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Harding Elementary is 24.1:1, which is 12% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 54% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Harding Elementary?
22.9% of students at Harding Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Harding Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Harding Elementary is White at 31.0% of enrollment, in El Cerrito, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 76.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Harding Elementary?
Harding Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical 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 Harding Elementary rank among elementary schools in El Cerrito?
By Resource Investment Index, Harding Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in El Cerrito, 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 El Cerrito on the city page.
Is Harding Elementary a good school?
Harding Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 West Contra Costa Unified?
Besides Harding Elementary, West Contra Costa Unified also operates El Cerrito High (1,460 students), Richmond High (1,280 students), and Pinole Valley High (1,245 students). See the West Contra Costa 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.