Enrollment
541
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Helendale, CA
Helendale Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Helendale Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 16/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061686002146
👥 S:T ratio 2
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Helendale Elementary earns 16/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of California schools.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Helendale · Resource Index
- 16
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.6:1
- large classes for California
- 48.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Helendale Elementary has class sizes larger than 76% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Helendale Elementary ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Helendale, CA.
School address
District: Helendale Elementary · California
NCES ID 061686002146 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
-12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Helendale Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Helendale Elementary
Helendale Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Helendale, California, enrolling 541 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.6:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 48.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 541 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,493 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,238, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (51%) and White (35%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1082 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Helendale Elementary also operates Academy of Careers and Exploration (285 students) and Riverview Middle (141 students) alongside Helendale 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 Helendale Elementary compares
Helendale 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 | 24.6:1 | ▲ 14% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.8% | ▼ 12% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 541 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.6:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
541
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% 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
24.6:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 76% in California - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
27.0%
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
$13,560
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
5
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.7 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 50.6%
White 35.1%
African American 7.4%
Two or More 4.3%
Asian 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 50.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.3, Helendale Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Helendale Elementary, which includes Helendale Elementary.
$13,560
Per student
-18%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.3%
State 72.1%
Federal 7.6%
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 Helendale Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy of Careers and Exploration | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Riverview Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Independence Charter Academy | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Helendale Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 285
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 141
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 118
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~541 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Helendale Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Helendale Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Helendale 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 Helendale Elementary
How many students attend Helendale Elementary?
Helendale Elementary has 541 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Helendale, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Helendale Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Helendale Elementary is 24.6:1, which is 14% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 57% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Helendale Elementary?
48.8% of students at Helendale Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Helendale Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Helendale Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 50.6% of enrollment, in Helendale, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Helendale Elementary?
Helendale Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 16/100 (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 Helendale Elementary rank among public schools in Helendale?
By Resource Investment Index, Helendale Elementary ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Helendale, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Helendale on the city page.
Is Helendale Elementary a good school?
Helendale Elementary earns 16/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% 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 Helendale Elementary?
Besides Helendale Elementary, Helendale Elementary also operates Academy of Careers and Exploration (285 students), Riverview Middle (141 students), and Independence Charter Academy (118 students). See the Helendale 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.