Enrollment
505
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Thermal, CA
John Kelley Elementary
Federal NCES profile for John Kelley Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060907000922
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
John Kelley Elementary earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 84% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #1 of 4
- elementary schools in Thermal · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.8:1
- small classes for California
- 89.2%
- free-lunch eligible
John Kelley Elementary has class sizes smaller than 84% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, John Kelley Elementary ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Thermal, CA.
School address
District: Coachella Valley Unified · California
NCES ID 060907000922 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How John Kelley Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at John Kelley Elementary
John Kelley Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Thermal, California, enrolling 505 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 16.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 89.2% of students qualify for free meals, 61% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 505 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 1,520 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #1,032.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (98% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 5/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 54.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Thermal's elementary schools, it stands alongside Las Palmitas Elementary (570 students): John Kelley Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.8:1 vs 21.9:1).
Coachella Valley Unified also operates Coachella Valley High (2,300 students) and Desert Mirage High (1,875 students) alongside John Kelley 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 John Kelley Elementary compares
John Kelley 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 | 16.8:1 | ▼ 22% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.2% | ▲ 61% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 505 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
505
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
89.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 61% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 16% in California - lower ratio than 84% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
54.9%
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
$18,466
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
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 97.6%
Two or More 1.2%
White 1.0%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 97.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 4.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 4.7, John Kelley Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Coachella Valley Unified, which includes John Kelley Elementary.
$18,466
Per student
+12%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.5%
State 62.1%
Federal 15.5%
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 John Kelley Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coachella Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Desert Mirage High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Toro Canyon Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Saul Martinez Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Coral Mountain Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to John Kelley Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,300
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,875
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 989
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 961
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 815
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
Similar elementary schools in Thermal
3 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 (~505 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on John Kelley Elementary's federal record.
- Compare John Kelley Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Coachella Valley 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 John Kelley Elementary
How many students attend John Kelley Elementary?
John Kelley Elementary has 505 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Thermal, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at John Kelley Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at John Kelley Elementary is 16.8:1, which is 22% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 7% 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 John Kelley Elementary?
89.2% of students at John Kelley Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of John Kelley Elementary?
The largest demographic group at John Kelley Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 97.6% of enrollment, in Thermal, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for John Kelley Elementary?
John Kelley Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (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 John Kelley Elementary rank among elementary schools in Thermal?
By Resource Investment Index, John Kelley Elementary ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Thermal, 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 Thermal on the city page.
Is John Kelley Elementary a good school?
John Kelley Elementary earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 84% of California schools. It is also less 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 Coachella Valley Unified?
Besides John Kelley Elementary, Coachella Valley Unified also operates Coachella Valley High (2,300 students), Desert Mirage High (1,875 students), and Toro Canyon Middle (989 students). See the Coachella Valley 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.