Enrollment
428
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Paramount, CA
Howard Tanner
Federal NCES profile for Howard Tanner, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062985010907
👥 S:T ratio 5
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Howard Tanner earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #5 of 10
- elementary schools in Paramount · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.8:1
- large classes for California
- 82.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Howard Tanner has class sizes larger than 70% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Howard Tanner ranks #5 of 10 elementary schools in Paramount, CA.
School address
District: Paramount Unified · California
NCES ID 062985010907 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
+48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Howard Tanner compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Howard Tanner
Howard Tanner is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Paramount, California, enrolling 428 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.8:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 82.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 428 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.
Against 1,881 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #1,235.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (92% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 15/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 428 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 58.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Paramount's elementary schools, it stands alongside Leona Jackson (517 students): Howard Tanner is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.8:1 vs 16.2:1).
Paramount Unified also operates Paramount High (3,400 students) and Hollydale (794 students) alongside Howard Tanner.
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 Tanner compares
Howard Tanner on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 23.8:1 | ▲ 11% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.0% | ▲ 48% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 428 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.8:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
428
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
82.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% 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
23.8:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 70% in California - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
58.9%
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
$18,707
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 428 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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 92.1%
African American 6.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Two or More 0.5%
White 0.2%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 92.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 14.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 14.8, Howard Tanner is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Paramount Unified, which includes Howard Tanner.
$18,707
Per student
+13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.4%
State 67.2%
Federal 15.4%
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 Tanner Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paramount High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hollydale | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Alondra Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Frank J. Zamboni | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Paramount Park Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Howard Tanner's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,400
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 794
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 735
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 650
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 551
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar elementary schools in Paramount
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Leona Jackson
Standard public school
517 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Major Lynn Mokler
Standard public school
510 students 21.3:1 students per teacher
Abraham Lincoln
Standard public school
502 students 20.9:1 students per teacher
Theodore Roosevelt
Standard public school
491 students 21.3:1 students per teacher
Wesley Gaines
Standard public school
449 students 28.1:1 students per teacher
Mark Keppel
Standard public school
426 students 26.6:1 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 (~428 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Howard Tanner's federal record.
- Compare Howard Tanner against another school. Compare schools
- Paramount 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 Howard Tanner
How many students attend Howard Tanner?
Howard Tanner has 428 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Paramount, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Howard Tanner?
The student-teacher ratio at Howard Tanner is 23.8:1, which is 11% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 52% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Howard Tanner?
82.0% of students at Howard Tanner are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Howard Tanner?
The largest demographic group at Howard Tanner is Hispanic or Latino at 92.1% of enrollment, in Paramount, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Howard Tanner?
Howard Tanner has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (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 Howard Tanner rank among elementary schools in Paramount?
By Resource Investment Index, Howard Tanner ranks #5 of 10 elementary schools in Paramount, 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 Paramount on the city page.
Is Howard Tanner a good school?
Howard Tanner earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Paramount Unified?
Besides Howard Tanner, Paramount Unified also operates Paramount High (3,400 students), Hollydale (794 students), and Alondra Middle (735 students). See the Paramount 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.