Enrollment
517
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Paramount, CA
Leona Jackson
Federal NCES profile for Leona Jackson, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062985010906
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Leona Jackson earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of California schools.
- #1 of 10
- elementary schools in Paramount · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.2:1
- small classes for California
- 82.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Leona Jackson has class sizes smaller than 86% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Leona Jackson ranks #1 of 10 elementary schools in Paramount, CA.
School address
District: Paramount Unified · California
NCES ID 062985010906 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Leona Jackson compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Leona Jackson
Leona Jackson is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Paramount, California, enrolling 517 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 16.2:1, Leona Jackson is leaner than roughly 86% of California schools and 25% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 82.7% of students qualify for free meals, 49% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 517 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 2,009 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #156, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (69%) and African American (25%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 259 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 66.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Paramount's elementary schools, it stands alongside Major Lynn Mokler (510 students): Leona Jackson is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.2:1 vs 21.3:1).
Paramount Unified also operates Paramount High (3,400 students) and Hollydale (794 students) alongside Leona Jackson.
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 Leona Jackson compares
Leona Jackson on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.2:1 | ▼ 25% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.7% | ▲ 49% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 517 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
517
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
82.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% 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
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 25% below state mean
Top 14% in California - lower ratio than 86% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
66.3%
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
$18,707
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 259 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 21 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 68.7%
African American 25.1%
Asian 2.5%
Two or More 2.3%
White 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 68.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.4, Leona Jackson is about as mixed as the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Paramount Unified, which includes Leona Jackson.
$18,707
Per student
+13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.4%
State 67.2%
Federal 15.4%
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 Leona Jackson Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paramount High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hollydale | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alondra Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Frank J. Zamboni | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Paramount Park Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Leona Jackson's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,400
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 794
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 735
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 650
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 551
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar elementary schools in Paramount
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Major Lynn Mokler
Standard public school
510 students 21.3:1 students per teacher
Abraham Lincoln
Standard public school
502 students 20.9:1 students per teacher
Theodore Roosevelt
Standard public school
491 students 21.3:1 students per teacher
Wesley Gaines
Standard public school
449 students 28.1:1 students per teacher
Howard Tanner
Standard public school
428 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Mark Keppel
Standard public school
426 students 26.6:1 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 (~517 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Leona Jackson's federal record.
- Compare Leona Jackson against another school. Compare schools
- Paramount 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 Leona Jackson
How many students attend Leona Jackson?
Leona Jackson has 517 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Paramount, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Leona Jackson?
The student-teacher ratio at Leona Jackson is 16.2:1, which is 25% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 3% 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 Leona Jackson?
82.7% of students at Leona Jackson are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Leona Jackson?
The largest demographic group at Leona Jackson is Hispanic or Latino at 68.7% of enrollment, in Paramount, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Leona Jackson?
Leona Jackson has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical 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 Leona Jackson rank among elementary schools in Paramount?
By Resource Investment Index, Leona Jackson ranks #1 of 10 elementary schools in Paramount, 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 Paramount on the city page.
Is Leona Jackson a good school?
Leona Jackson earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller 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 Paramount Unified?
Besides Leona Jackson, Paramount Unified also operates Paramount High (3,400 students), Hollydale (794 students), and Alondra Middle (735 students). See the Paramount 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.