Enrollment
760
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Imperial, CA
Imperial Cross Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Imperial Cross Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061821014386
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Imperial Cross Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Imperial · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 26.2:1
- large classes for California
- 51.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Imperial Cross Elementary has class sizes larger than 86% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Imperial Cross Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Imperial, CA.
School address
District: Imperial Unified · California
NCES ID 061821014386 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Imperial Cross Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Imperial Cross Elementary
Imperial Cross Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Imperial, California, enrolling 760 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.2:1 is larger than about 86% of California schools and 22% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 51.8% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 760 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,290 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #63, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (92% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 15/100).
16.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Imperial's elementary schools, it stands alongside Ben Hulse Elementary (838 students): Imperial Cross Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (26.2:1 vs 24.6:1).
Imperial Unified also operates Imperial High (1,439 students) and Frank M. Wright Middle (1,116 students) alongside Imperial Cross 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 Imperial Cross Elementary compares
Imperial Cross 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 | 26.2:1 | ▲ 22% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.8% | ▼ 7% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 760 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.2:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
760
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.8%
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
26.2:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 86% in California - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
16.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,369
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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: 0.3 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 92.2%
White 6.3%
Two or More 0.7%
African American 0.4%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 92.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 14.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 14.6, Imperial Cross Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Imperial Unified, which includes Imperial Cross Elementary.
$13,369
Per student
-19%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.5%
State 67.3%
Federal 11.2%
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 Imperial Cross Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Frank M. Wright Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ben Hulse Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| T. L. Waggoner Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Imperial Ave. Holbrook High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Imperial Cross Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,439
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,116
- Students per teacher
- 25.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 838
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 613
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 28
- Students per teacher
- 28:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary schools in Imperial
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~760 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Imperial Cross Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Imperial Cross Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Imperial 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 Imperial Cross Elementary
How many students attend Imperial Cross Elementary?
Imperial Cross Elementary has 760 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Imperial, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Imperial Cross Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Imperial Cross Elementary is 26.2:1, which is 22% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 67% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Imperial Cross Elementary?
51.8% of students at Imperial Cross Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Imperial Cross Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Imperial Cross Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 92.2% of enrollment, in Imperial, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Imperial Cross Elementary?
Imperial Cross Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Imperial Cross Elementary rank among elementary schools in Imperial?
By Resource Investment Index, Imperial Cross Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Imperial, 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 Imperial on the city page.
Is Imperial Cross Elementary a good school?
Imperial Cross Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% 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 Imperial Unified?
Besides Imperial Cross Elementary, Imperial Unified also operates Imperial High (1,439 students), Frank M. Wright Middle (1,116 students), and Ben Hulse Elementary (838 students). See the Imperial 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.