Enrollment
433
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Montclair, CA
Howard Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Howard Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062847007805
👥 S:T ratio 14
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 31
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Howard Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #6 of 8
- elementary schools in Montclair · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.6:1
- students per teacher
- 77.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Howard Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Howard Elementary ranks #6 of 8 elementary schools in Montclair, CA.
School address
District: Ontario-Montclair · California
NCES ID 062847007805 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Howard Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Howard Elementary
Howard Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Montclair, California, enrolling 433 students.
At 21.6:1, 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 runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 77.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 433 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 2,046 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #519.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 433 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Montclair's elementary schools, it stands alongside Montera Elementary (564 students): Howard Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.6:1 vs 18.8:1).
Ontario-Montclair also operates Edison Elementary (736 students) and Central Language Academy (736 students) alongside Howard 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 Howard Elementary compares
Howard 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 | 21.6:1 | ▲ 0% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.8% | ▲ 40% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 433 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.6:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
433
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% 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
21.6:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 49% in California - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
27.7%
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
$17,537
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 433 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 84.8%
Asian 8.8%
White 2.1%
African American 2.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.4%
Two or More 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 84.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.2, Howard Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ontario-Montclair, which includes Howard Elementary.
$17,537
Per student
+6%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.5%
State 75.0%
Federal 13.5%
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 Howard Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edison Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central Language Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ray Wiltsey Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oaks Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Serrano Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Howard Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 736
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 736
- Students per teacher
- 25.4:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 727
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 668
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 657
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Montclair
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Montera Elementary
Standard public school
564 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
Ramona Elementary
Standard public school
556 students 22.2:1 students per teacher
Monte Vista Elementary
Standard public school
535 students 22.3:1 students per teacher
Kingsley Elementary
Standard public school
494 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Lehigh Elementary
Standard public school
477 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Moreno Elementary
Standard public school
428 students 17.8:1 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 (~433 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Howard Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Howard Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Ontario-Montclair'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 Howard Elementary
How many students attend Howard Elementary?
Howard Elementary has 433 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Montclair, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Howard Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Howard Elementary is 21.6:1, which is 0% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 38% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Howard Elementary?
77.8% of students at Howard Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Howard Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Howard Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 84.8% of enrollment, in Montclair, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Howard Elementary?
Howard Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Howard Elementary rank among elementary schools in Montclair?
By Resource Investment Index, Howard Elementary ranks #6 of 8 elementary schools in Montclair, 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 Montclair on the city page.
Is Howard Elementary a good school?
Howard Elementary earns 32/100 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 Ontario-Montclair?
Besides Howard Elementary, Ontario-Montclair also operates Edison Elementary (736 students), Central Language Academy (736 students), and Ray Wiltsey Middle (727 students). See the Ontario-Montclair 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.