Enrollment
503
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Modesto, CA
Harriette Kirschen Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Harriette Kirschen Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062513008903
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Harriette Kirschen Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #12 of 53
- elementary schools in Modesto · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21:1
- students per teacher
- 89.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Harriette Kirschen Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Harriette Kirschen Elementary ranks #12 of 53 elementary schools in Modesto, CA.
School address
District: Modesto City Elementary · California
NCES ID 062513008903 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Harriette Kirschen Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Harriette Kirschen Elementary
Harriette Kirschen Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Modesto, California, enrolling 503 students.
At 21:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 89.2% of students qualify for free meals, 61% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 503 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,518 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #566.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 52.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Modesto's elementary schools, it stands alongside Great Valley Academy (972 students): Harriette Kirschen Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21:1 vs 27.8:1).
Modesto City Elementary also operates Bret Harte Elementary (867 students) and Roosevelt Junior High (818 students) alongside Harriette Kirschen 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 Harriette Kirschen Elementary compares
Harriette Kirschen 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 | 21:1 | ▼ 2% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.2% | ▲ 61% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 503 | top 45% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
503
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
89.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 61% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 43% in California - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
52.1%
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.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 33 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.6 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 85.1%
Asian 5.8%
White 4.6%
Two or More 3.0%
African American 1.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 85.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 26.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 26.9, Harriette Kirschen Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
How Harriette Kirschen Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bret Harte Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt Junior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fairview Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Franklin Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| La Loma Junior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Harriette Kirschen Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 867
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 818
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 786
- Students per teacher
- 27.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 777
- Students per teacher
- 25.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 705
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
Similar elementary schools in Modesto
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Great Valley Academy
Standard public school
972 students 27.8:1 students per teacher
Great Valley Academy - Salida
Standard public school
927 students 27.3:1 students per teacher
Bret Harte Elementary
Standard public school
867 students 23.4:1 students per teacher
Fairview Elementary
Standard public school
786 students 27.1:1 students per teacher
Franklin Elementary
Standard public school
777 students 25.1:1 students per teacher
Freedom Elementary
Standard public school
713 students 25.5:1 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 (~503 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Harriette Kirschen Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Harriette Kirschen Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Modesto City Elementary'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 Harriette Kirschen Elementary
How many students attend Harriette Kirschen Elementary?
Harriette Kirschen Elementary has 503 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Modesto, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Harriette Kirschen Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Harriette Kirschen Elementary is 21:1, which is 2% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 34% 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 Harriette Kirschen Elementary?
89.2% of students at Harriette Kirschen Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Harriette Kirschen Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Harriette Kirschen Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 85.1% of enrollment, in Modesto, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Harriette Kirschen Elementary?
Harriette Kirschen Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Harriette Kirschen Elementary rank among elementary schools in Modesto?
By Resource Investment Index, Harriette Kirschen Elementary ranks #12 of 53 elementary schools in Modesto, 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 Modesto on the city page.
Is Harriette Kirschen Elementary a good school?
Harriette Kirschen Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Modesto City Elementary?
Besides Harriette Kirschen Elementary, Modesto City Elementary also operates Bret Harte Elementary (867 students), Roosevelt Junior High (818 students), and Fairview Elementary (786 students). See the Modesto City Elementary 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.