Enrollment
668
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Ceres, CA
Lucas Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Lucas Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 18/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060813013637
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 24
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lucas Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #6 of 11
- elementary schools in Ceres · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 26.7:1
- large classes for California
- 65.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Lucas Elementary has class sizes larger than 88% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lucas Elementary ranks #6 of 11 elementary schools in Ceres, CA.
School address
District: Ceres Unified · California
NCES ID 060813013637 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lucas Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lucas Elementary
Lucas Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Ceres, California, enrolling 668 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.7:1 is larger than about 88% of California schools and 24% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 65.5% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 668 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,874 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,349, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 7/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Ceres's elementary schools, it stands alongside Caswell Elementary (653 students): Lucas Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (26.7:1 vs 26.1:1).
Ceres Unified also operates Central Valley High (2,317 students) and Ceres High (1,660 students) alongside Lucas 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 Lucas Elementary compares
Lucas 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 | 26.7:1 | ▲ 24% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.5% | ▲ 18% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 668 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.7:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
668
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% 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
26.7:1
students per teacher
- 24% above state mean
Top 88% in California - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
30.4%
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 + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.1 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 96.4%
White 2.1%
African American 0.4%
Asian 0.4%
Two or More 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 96.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 7.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 7.0, Lucas 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 Lucas 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 Lucas Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ceres High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cesar Chavez Junior High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Caswell Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Virginia Parks Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lucas 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
- 653
- Students per teacher
- 26.1:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 643
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
Similar elementary schools in Ceres
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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
La Rosa Elementary
Standard public school
516 students 21.5:1 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 (~668 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~26.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lucas Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Lucas 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 Lucas Elementary
How many students attend Lucas Elementary?
Lucas Elementary has 668 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Ceres, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lucas Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Lucas Elementary is 26.7:1, which is 24% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 70% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lucas Elementary?
65.5% of students at Lucas Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lucas Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Lucas Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 96.4% of enrollment, in Ceres, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lucas Elementary?
Lucas Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (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 Lucas Elementary rank among elementary schools in Ceres?
By Resource Investment Index, Lucas Elementary ranks #6 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 Lucas Elementary a good school?
Lucas Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% 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 Ceres Unified?
Besides Lucas 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.