Enrollment
199
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Fresno, CA
Houghton-Kearney Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Houghton-Kearney Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060797007669
👥 S:T ratio 12
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 80
📋 Attendance 6
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Houghton-Kearney Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #4 of 115
- elementary schools in Fresno · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.1:1
- students per teacher
- 65.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Houghton-Kearney Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Houghton-Kearney Elementary ranks #4 of 115 elementary schools in Fresno, CA.
School address
District: Central Unified · California
NCES ID 060797007669 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
9.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Houghton-Kearney Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Houghton-Kearney Elementary
Houghton-Kearney Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Fresno, California, enrolling 199 students.
At 22.1:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 65.3% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 199 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.
Against 537 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #128.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (69%) and White (21%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 100 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Fresno's elementary schools, it stands alongside Harvest Elementary (1,010 students): Houghton-Kearney Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.1:1 vs 29.7:1).
Central Unified also operates Justin Garza High (2,095 students) and Central East High (1,741 students) alongside Houghton-Kearney 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 Houghton-Kearney Elementary compares
Houghton-Kearney 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 | 22.1:1 | ▲ 3% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.3% | ▲ 18% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 199 | top 83% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.1:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
199
Bigger than 19% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% 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
22.1:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 54% in California - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
37.7%
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
$14,150
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 100 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.5 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 69.3%
White 21.1%
Asian 8.0%
Two or More 1.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 69.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.9, Houghton-Kearney Elementary is about as mixed as the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Central Unified, which includes Houghton-Kearney Elementary.
$14,150
Per student
-14%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.2%
State 65.7%
Federal 12.0%
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 Houghton-Kearney Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Garza High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central East High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Harvest Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Glacier Point Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rio Vista Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Houghton-Kearney Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,095
- Students per teacher
- 29.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,741
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,010
- Students per teacher
- 29.7:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 947
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 851
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar elementary schools in Fresno
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Harvest Elementary
Standard public school
1,010 students 29.7:1 students per teacher
James S. Fugman Elementary
Standard public school
893 students 28.8:1 students per teacher
Roger S. Oraze Elementary
Standard public school
868 students 25.5:1 students per teacher
Thomas Elementary
Standard public school
859 students 24.5:1 students per teacher
Ewing Elementary
Standard public school
842 students 20.5:1 students per teacher
John S. Wash Elementary
Standard public school
838 students 27.9:1 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 (~199 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Houghton-Kearney Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Houghton-Kearney Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Central 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 Houghton-Kearney Elementary
How many students attend Houghton-Kearney Elementary?
Houghton-Kearney Elementary has 199 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Fresno, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Houghton-Kearney Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Houghton-Kearney Elementary is 22.1:1, which is 3% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 41% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Houghton-Kearney Elementary?
65.3% of students at Houghton-Kearney Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Houghton-Kearney Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Houghton-Kearney Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 69.3% of enrollment, in Fresno, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Houghton-Kearney Elementary?
Houghton-Kearney Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical 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 Houghton-Kearney Elementary rank among elementary schools in Fresno?
By Resource Investment Index, Houghton-Kearney Elementary ranks #4 of 115 elementary schools in Fresno, 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 Fresno on the city page.
Is Houghton-Kearney Elementary a good school?
Houghton-Kearney Elementary earns 42/100 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 Central Unified?
Besides Houghton-Kearney Elementary, Central Unified also operates Justin Garza High (2,095 students), Central East High (1,741 students), and Harvest Elementary (1,010 students). See the Central 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.