Enrollment
501
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Hanford, CA
Jefferson Academy
Federal NCES profile for Jefferson Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 19/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061647002079
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Jefferson Academy earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of California schools.
- #6 of 16
- elementary schools in Hanford · Resource Index
- 19
- Resource Index · Lower
- 27.8:1
- large classes for California
- 48.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Jefferson Academy has class sizes larger than 92% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Jefferson Academy ranks #6 of 16 elementary schools in Hanford, CA.
School address
District: Hanford Elementary · California
NCES ID 061647002079 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Jefferson Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Jefferson Academy
Jefferson Academy is a mid-sized elementary school in Hanford, California, enrolling 501 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.8:1 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.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 48.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 501 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.
Among 1,422 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,097, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 26/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 501 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Hanford's elementary schools, it stands alongside Kings River-Hardwick Elementary (860 students): Jefferson Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (27.8:1 vs 24.6:1).
Hanford Elementary also operates Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary (624 students) and Monroe Elementary (611 students) alongside Jefferson Academy.
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 Jefferson Academy compares
Jefferson Academy on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 27.8:1 | ▲ 29% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.1% | ▼ 13% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 501 | top 45% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.8:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
501
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
27.8:1
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
22.0%
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
$15,403
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 501 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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 85.4%
White 9.6%
Two or More 3.6%
African American 0.8%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 85.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 26.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 26.0, Jefferson Academy is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hanford Elementary, which includes Jefferson Academy.
$15,403
Per student
-7%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 8.5%
State 77.3%
Federal 14.2%
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 Jefferson Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Monroe Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John F. Kennedy Junior High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Joseph M. Simas | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Woodrow Wilson Junior High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Jefferson Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 624
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 9/100
- Enrollment
- 611
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 11/100
- Enrollment
- 531
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 514
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 505
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar elementary schools in Hanford
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Kings River-Hardwick Elementary
Standard public school
860 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary
Standard public school
624 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
Frontier Elementary
Standard public school
619 students 28.1:1 students per teacher
Monroe Elementary
Standard public school
611 students 21.8:1 students per teacher
Pioneer Elementary
Standard public school
518 students 23.5:1 students per teacher
Joseph M. Simas
Standard public school
514 students 22.3:1 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 (~501 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Jefferson Academy's federal record.
- Compare Jefferson Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Hanford 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 Jefferson Academy
How many students attend Jefferson Academy?
Jefferson Academy has 501 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Hanford, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Jefferson Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Jefferson Academy is 27.8:1, which is 29% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 77% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Jefferson Academy?
48.1% of students at Jefferson Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Jefferson Academy?
The largest demographic group at Jefferson Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 85.4% of enrollment, in Hanford, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Jefferson Academy?
Jefferson Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (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 Jefferson Academy rank among elementary schools in Hanford?
By Resource Investment Index, Jefferson Academy ranks #6 of 16 elementary schools in Hanford, 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 Hanford on the city page.
Is Jefferson Academy a good school?
Jefferson Academy earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% 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 Hanford Elementary?
Besides Jefferson Academy, Hanford Elementary also operates Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary (624 students), Monroe Elementary (611 students), and John F. Kennedy Junior High (531 students). See the Hanford 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.