Enrollment
388
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Edwards, CA
Irving L. Branch Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Irving L. Branch Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062649003999
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Irving L. Branch Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Edwards · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 27.7:1
- large classes for California
- 12.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Irving L. Branch Elementary has class sizes larger than 92% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Irving L. Branch Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Edwards, CA.
School address
District: Muroc Joint Unified · California
NCES ID 062649003999 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-77% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Irving L. Branch Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Irving L. Branch Elementary
Irving L. Branch Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Edwards, California, enrolling 388 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.7:1 is larger than about 92% of California schools and 29% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 12.5% free-meal eligibility runs 77% below the California average.
With 388 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.
Among 729 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #543, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (36%) and White (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 71/100).
17.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 68.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Edwards's elementary schools, it stands alongside William a. Bailey Elementary (366 students): Irving L. Branch Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (27.7:1 vs 19.3:1).
Muroc Joint Unified also operates Desert Junior-Senior High (497 students) and William a. Bailey Elementary (366 students) alongside Irving L. Branch 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 Irving L. Branch Elementary compares
Irving L. Branch 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 | 27.7:1 | ▲ 29% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.5% | ▼ 77% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 388 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.7:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
388
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 77% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
27.7:1
students per teacher
- 29% above state mean
Top 92% in California - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
17.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,484
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
3
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 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 35.8%
White 29.6%
Two or More 26.8%
Asian 4.9%
African American 2.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 35.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.9, Irving L. Branch Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Muroc Joint Unified, which includes Irving L. Branch Elementary.
$14,484
Per student
-12%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 9.4%
State 22.1%
Federal 68.6%
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 Irving L. Branch Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desert Junior-Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| William a. Bailey Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Boron Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Boron Junior-Senior High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Irving L. Branch Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 497
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 366
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 276
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 253
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar elementary schools in Edwards
1 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 (~388 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Irving L. Branch Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Irving L. Branch Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Muroc Joint 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 Irving L. Branch Elementary
How many students attend Irving L. Branch Elementary?
Irving L. Branch Elementary has 388 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Edwards, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Irving L. Branch Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Irving L. Branch Elementary is 27.7:1, which is 29% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 76% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Irving L. Branch Elementary?
12.5% of students at Irving L. Branch Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Irving L. Branch Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Irving L. Branch Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 35.8% of enrollment, in Edwards, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Irving L. Branch Elementary?
Irving L. Branch Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower 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 Irving L. Branch Elementary rank among public schools in Edwards?
By Resource Investment Index, Irving L. Branch Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Edwards, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Edwards on the city page.
Is Irving L. Branch Elementary a good school?
Irving L. Branch Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of California schools. It is also more 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 Muroc Joint Unified?
Besides Irving L. Branch Elementary, Muroc Joint Unified also operates Desert Junior-Senior High (497 students), William a. Bailey Elementary (366 students), and West Boron Elementary (276 students). See the Muroc Joint 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.