Enrollment
393
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Ceres, CA
Joel J. Hidahl Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Joel J. Hidahl Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060813011490
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 15
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Joel J. Hidahl Elementary earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #5 of 11
- elementary schools in Ceres · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.6:1
- students per teacher
- 74.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Joel J. Hidahl Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Joel J. Hidahl Elementary ranks #5 of 11 elementary schools in Ceres, CA.
School address
District: Ceres Unified · California
NCES ID 060813011490 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Joel J. Hidahl Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Joel J. Hidahl Elementary
Joel J. Hidahl Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Ceres, California, enrolling 393 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 74.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 393 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.
Against 1,840 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #1,194.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Ceres's elementary schools, it stands alongside Lucas Elementary (668 students): Joel J. Hidahl Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.6:1 vs 26.7:1).
Ceres Unified also operates Central Valley High (2,317 students) and Ceres High (1,660 students) alongside Joel J. Hidahl 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 Joel J. Hidahl Elementary compares
Joel J. Hidahl 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 | 19.6:1 | ▼ 9% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.3% | ▲ 34% | 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
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% 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
74.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% 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
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 32% in California - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
34.1%
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
$16,252
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.5 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 85.0%
White 6.6%
Asian 4.3%
Two or More 2.0%
African American 1.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 85.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.1, Joel J. Hidahl Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ceres Unified, which includes Joel J. Hidahl Elementary.
$16,252
Per student
-2%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.4%
State 74.5%
Federal 11.1%
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 Joel J. Hidahl Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ceres High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cesar Chavez Junior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lucas Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Caswell Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Joel J. Hidahl Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,317
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 1,660
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 685
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 668
- Students per teacher
- 26.7:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 653
- Students per teacher
- 26.1:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
Similar elementary schools in Ceres
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Lucas Elementary
Standard public school
668 students 26.7:1 students per teacher
Caswell Elementary
Standard public school
653 students 26.1:1 students per teacher
Sinclear Elementary
Standard public school
581 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
Samuel Vaughn Elementary
Standard public school
570 students 24.8:1 students per teacher
Walter White Elementary
Standard public school
526 students 25:1 students per teacher
Carroll Fowler Elementary
Standard public school
522 students 22.7:1 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 (~19.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Joel J. Hidahl Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Joel J. Hidahl Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Ceres 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 Joel J. Hidahl Elementary
How many students attend Joel J. Hidahl Elementary?
Joel J. Hidahl Elementary has 393 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Ceres, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Joel J. Hidahl Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Joel J. Hidahl Elementary is 19.6:1, which is 9% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Joel J. Hidahl Elementary?
74.3% of students at Joel J. Hidahl Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Joel J. Hidahl Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Joel J. Hidahl Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 85.0% of enrollment, in Ceres, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Joel J. Hidahl Elementary?
Joel J. Hidahl Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (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 Joel J. Hidahl Elementary rank among elementary schools in Ceres?
By Resource Investment Index, Joel J. Hidahl Elementary ranks #5 of 11 elementary schools in Ceres, 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 Ceres on the city page.
Is Joel J. Hidahl Elementary a good school?
Joel J. Hidahl Elementary earns 22/100 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 Ceres Unified?
Besides Joel J. Hidahl Elementary, Ceres Unified also operates Central Valley High (2,317 students), Ceres High (1,660 students), and Cesar Chavez Junior High (685 students). See the Ceres 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.