Enrollment
364
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Santa Barbara, CA
Harding University Partnership
Federal NCES profile for Harding University Partnership, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060141406021
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 41
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Harding University Partnership earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of California schools.
- #8 of 20
- elementary schools in Santa Barbara · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.3:1
- small classes for California
- 73.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Harding University Partnership has class sizes smaller than 82% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Harding University Partnership ranks #8 of 20 elementary schools in Santa Barbara, CA.
School address
District: Santa Barbara Unified · California
NCES ID 060141406021 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
+32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Harding University Partnership compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Harding University Partnership
Harding University Partnership is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Santa Barbara, California, enrolling 364 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 17.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 73.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 364 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 1,664 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #62, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (77%) and White (17%) (diversity index 38/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Santa Barbara's elementary schools, it stands alongside Peabody Charter (780 students): Harding University Partnership is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.3:1 vs 24.4:1).
Santa Barbara Unified also operates Dos Pueblos Senior High (2,149 students) and San Marcos Senior High (1,926 students) alongside Harding University Partnership.
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 University Partnership compares
Harding University Partnership on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.3:1 | ▼ 20% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.4% | ▲ 32% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 364 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.3:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
364
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
73.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% 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
17.3:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 18% in California - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
23.6%
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
$16,366
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.5 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 76.6%
White 16.8%
Two or More 6.0%
African American 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 76.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.1, Harding University Partnership is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Santa Barbara Unified, which includes Harding University Partnership.
$16,366
Per student
-1%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 72.3%
State 18.5%
Federal 9.2%
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 Harding University Partnership Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dos Pueblos Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| San Marcos Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Santa Barbara Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| La Colina Junior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Goleta Valley Junior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Harding University Partnership's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,149
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,926
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,924
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 832
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 731
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar elementary schools in Santa Barbara
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Peabody Charter
Standard public school
780 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Washington Elementary
Standard public school
477 students 17:1 students per teacher
Adams Elementary
Standard public school
469 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Roosevelt Elementary
Standard public school
463 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Franklin Elementary
Standard public school
424 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Foothill Elementary
Standard public school
413 students 24.3:1 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 (~364 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Harding University Partnership's federal record.
- Compare Harding University Partnership against another school. Compare schools
- Santa Barbara 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 University Partnership
How many students attend Harding University Partnership?
Harding University Partnership has 364 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Santa Barbara, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Harding University Partnership?
The student-teacher ratio at Harding University Partnership is 17.3:1, which is 20% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 10% higher 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 Harding University Partnership?
73.4% of students at Harding University Partnership are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Harding University Partnership?
The largest demographic group at Harding University Partnership is Hispanic or Latino at 76.6% of enrollment, in Santa Barbara, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Harding University Partnership?
Harding University Partnership has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 University Partnership rank among elementary schools in Santa Barbara?
By Resource Investment Index, Harding University Partnership ranks #8 of 20 elementary schools in Santa Barbara, 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 Santa Barbara on the city page.
Is Harding University Partnership a good school?
Harding University Partnership earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller 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 Santa Barbara Unified?
Besides Harding University Partnership, Santa Barbara Unified also operates Dos Pueblos Senior High (2,149 students), San Marcos Senior High (1,926 students), and Santa Barbara Senior High (1,924 students). See the Santa Barbara 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.