Enrollment
658
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Altadena, CA
Jackson Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Jackson Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062994004673
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 44
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Jackson Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of California schools.
- #1 of 7
- elementary schools in Altadena · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 26.3:1
- large classes for California
- 54.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Jackson Elementary has class sizes larger than 86% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Jackson Elementary ranks #1 of 7 elementary schools in Altadena, CA.
School address
District: Pasadena Unified · California
NCES ID 062994004673 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Jackson Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Jackson Elementary
Jackson Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Altadena, California, enrolling 658 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.3:1 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 54.1% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 658 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.
Against 1,543 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #189.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (63%) and White (15%) (diversity index 56/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Altadena's elementary schools, it stands alongside Altadena Elementary (527 students): Jackson Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (26.3:1 vs 31:1).
Pasadena Unified also operates Marshall Fundamental (1,689 students) and Pasadena High (1,303 students) alongside Jackson 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 Jackson Elementary compares
Jackson 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 | 26.3:1 | ▲ 22% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.1% | ▼ 3% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 658 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.3:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
658
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% 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
26.3:1
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
22.3%
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
$17,889
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 63.1%
White 15.0%
African American 10.2%
Two or More 10.2%
Asian 1.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 63.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.8, Jackson Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pasadena Unified, which includes Jackson Elementary.
$17,889
Per student
+8%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.4%
State 40.3%
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 Jackson Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall Fundamental | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pasadena High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John Muir High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Blair High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sierra Madre Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Jackson Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,689
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,303
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,206
- Students per teacher
- 25.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,053
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 652
- Students per teacher
- 27.2:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar elementary schools in Altadena
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Altadena Elementary
Standard public school
527 students 31:1 students per teacher
Odyssey Charter
Standard public school
463 students 25.7:1 students per teacher
Ocs - South
Standard public school
392 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
Aveson School of Leaders
Standard public school
279 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Alma Fuerte Public
Standard public school
227 students 28.4:1 students per teacher
Pasadena Rosebud Academy
Standard public school
169 students 16.9:1 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 (~658 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~26.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Jackson Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Jackson Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Pasadena 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 Jackson Elementary
How many students attend Jackson Elementary?
Jackson Elementary has 658 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Altadena, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Jackson Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Jackson Elementary is 26.3:1, which is 22% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 68% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Jackson Elementary?
54.1% of students at Jackson Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Jackson Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Jackson Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 63.1% of enrollment, in Altadena, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Jackson Elementary?
Jackson Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Jackson Elementary rank among elementary schools in Altadena?
By Resource Investment Index, Jackson Elementary ranks #1 of 7 elementary schools in Altadena, 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 Altadena on the city page.
Is Jackson Elementary a good school?
Jackson Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of 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 Pasadena Unified?
Besides Jackson Elementary, Pasadena Unified also operates Marshall Fundamental (1,689 students), Pasadena High (1,303 students), and John Muir High (1,206 students). See the Pasadena 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.