Enrollment
393
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · National City, CA
Ira Harbison
Federal NCES profile for Ira Harbison, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062667004044
👥 S:T ratio 13
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 21
📋 Attendance 12
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ira Harbison earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #3 of 11
- elementary schools in National City · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.8:1
- students per teacher
- 64.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Ira Harbison has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ira Harbison ranks #3 of 11 elementary schools in National City, CA.
School address
District: National Elementary · California
NCES ID 062667004044 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ira Harbison compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ira Harbison
Ira Harbison is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in National City, California, enrolling 393 students.
At 21.8:1, 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 64.8% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 393 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 1,713 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #652.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (63%) and Asian (27%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 393 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among National City's elementary schools, it stands alongside Central Elementary (477 students): Ira Harbison is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.8:1 vs 21.7:1).
National Elementary also operates Central Elementary (477 students) and Las Palmas (458 students) alongside Ira Harbison.
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 Ira Harbison compares
Ira Harbison on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.8:1 | ▲ 1% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.8% | ▲ 17% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 393 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.8:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
393
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
21.8:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 51% in California - lower ratio than 49% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
35.4%
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
$18,648
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 393 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.8 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 62.5%
Asian 27.1%
Two or More 4.7%
African American 3.1%
White 2.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 62.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.2, Ira Harbison is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for National Elementary, which includes Ira Harbison.
$18,648
Per student
+13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.9%
State 64.8%
Federal 14.3%
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 Ira Harbison Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Las Palmas | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Olivewood | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Acres | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Palmer Way | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ira Harbison's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 477
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 458
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 424
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 423
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 387
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar elementary schools in National City
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Central Elementary
Standard public school
477 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
Las Palmas
Standard public school
458 students 20.8:1 students per teacher
Olivewood
Standard public school
424 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Lincoln Acres
Standard public school
423 students 21.1:1 students per teacher
Integrity Charter
Standard public school
393 students 21.8:1 students per teacher
Palmer Way
Standard public school
387 students 21.5:1 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 (~393 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ira Harbison's federal record.
- Compare Ira Harbison against another school. Compare schools
- National 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 Ira Harbison
How many students attend Ira Harbison?
Ira Harbison has 393 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in National City, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ira Harbison?
The student-teacher ratio at Ira Harbison is 21.8:1, which is 1% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 39% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ira Harbison?
64.8% of students at Ira Harbison are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ira Harbison?
The largest demographic group at Ira Harbison is Hispanic or Latino at 62.5% of enrollment, in National City, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ira Harbison?
Ira Harbison 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 Ira Harbison rank among elementary schools in National City?
By Resource Investment Index, Ira Harbison ranks #3 of 11 elementary schools in National City, 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 National City on the city page.
Is Ira Harbison a good school?
Ira Harbison 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 National Elementary?
Besides Ira Harbison, National Elementary also operates Central Elementary (477 students), Las Palmas (458 students), and Olivewood (424 students). See the National 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.