Enrollment
439
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Monterey Park, CA
Hillcrest Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Hillcrest 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 061494001896
👥 S:T ratio 8
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hillcrest Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #7 of 8
- elementary schools in Monterey Park · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.1:1
- students per teacher
- 51.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Hillcrest Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest Elementary ranks #7 of 8 elementary schools in Monterey Park, CA.
School address
District: Garvey Elementary · California
NCES ID 061494001896 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hillcrest Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hillcrest Elementary
Hillcrest Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Monterey Park, California, enrolling 439 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.1:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 51.6% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 439 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 1,464 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #629.
Its student body is led by Asian (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 338 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Garvey Elementary spends $20,052 per pupil, 21% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Monterey Park's elementary schools, it stands alongside Monterey Highlands Elementary (917 students): Hillcrest Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (23.1:1 vs 24.8:1).
Garvey Elementary also operates Garvey (Richard) Intermediate (661 students) and Monterey Vista Elementary (542 students) alongside Hillcrest 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 Hillcrest Elementary compares
Hillcrest 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 | 23.1:1 | ▲ 7% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.6% | ▼ 7% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 439 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.1:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
439
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% 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
23.1:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 63% in California - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
21.9%
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
$20,052
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.3 FTE
Per 338 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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
Asian 65.8%
Hispanic or Latino 26.9%
Two or More 5.7%
White 1.4%
African American 0.2%
Largest group: Asian at 65.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.1, Hillcrest Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Garvey Elementary, which includes Hillcrest Elementary.
$20,052
Per student
+21%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.4%
State 53.6%
Federal 16.9%
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 Hillcrest Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garvey (Richard) Intermediate | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Monterey Vista Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bitely (Arlene) Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Emerson (Ralph Waldo) Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dewey Avenue Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hillcrest Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 661
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 542
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 409
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 390
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 341
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar elementary schools in Monterey Park
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Monterey Highlands Elementary
Standard public school
917 students 24.8:1 students per teacher
Brightwood Elementary
Standard public school
804 students 26.8:1 students per teacher
Repetto Elementary
Standard public school
739 students 28.4:1 students per teacher
Ynez Elementary
Standard public school
695 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
Monterey Vista Elementary
Standard public school
542 students 25.8:1 students per teacher
Bella Vista Elementary
Standard public school
530 students 18.9:1 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 (~439 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hillcrest Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Hillcrest Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Garvey 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 Hillcrest Elementary
How many students attend Hillcrest Elementary?
Hillcrest Elementary has 439 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Monterey Park, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest Elementary is 23.1:1, which is 7% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 47% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hillcrest Elementary?
51.6% of students at Hillcrest Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hillcrest Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Hillcrest Elementary is Asian at 65.8% of enrollment, in Monterey Park, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hillcrest Elementary?
Hillcrest Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Hillcrest Elementary rank among elementary schools in Monterey Park?
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest Elementary ranks #7 of 8 elementary schools in Monterey Park, 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 Monterey Park on the city page.
Is Hillcrest Elementary a good school?
Hillcrest 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 Garvey Elementary?
Besides Hillcrest Elementary, Garvey Elementary also operates Garvey (Richard) Intermediate (661 students), Monterey Vista Elementary (542 students), and Bitely (Arlene) Elementary (409 students). See the Garvey 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.