Enrollment
457
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · El Cerrito, CA
Madera Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Madera Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063255005043
👥 S:T ratio 8
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Madera Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in El Cerrito · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 22.9:1
- students per teacher
- 13.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Madera Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Madera Elementary ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in El Cerrito, CA.
School address
District: West Contra Costa Unified · California
NCES ID 063255005043 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-76% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Madera Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Madera Elementary
Madera Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in El Cerrito, California, enrolling 457 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 22.9:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 13.3% free-meal eligibility runs 76% below the California average.
With 457 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 94% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 956 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #29, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (41%) and Two or More (20%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among El Cerrito's elementary schools, it stands alongside Fairmont Elementary (537 students): Madera Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (22.9:1 vs 22.4:1).
West Contra Costa Unified also operates El Cerrito High (1,460 students) and Richmond High (1,280 students) alongside Madera 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 Madera Elementary compares
Madera 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 | 22.9:1 | ▲ 7% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.3% | ▼ 76% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 457 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.9:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
457
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 76% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
22.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 61% in California - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
9.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$17,537
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
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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
White 40.7%
Two or More 19.8%
Asian 19.3%
Hispanic or Latino 18.0%
African American 2.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 40.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.5, Madera Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West Contra Costa Unified, which includes Madera Elementary.
$17,537
Per student
+6%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.1%
State 46.9%
Federal 11.0%
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 Madera Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Cerrito High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Richmond High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pinole Valley High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| De Anza High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hercules High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Madera Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,460
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,280
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,245
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,047
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 767
- Students per teacher
- 27.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary schools in El Cerrito
2 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 (~457 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Madera Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Madera Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- West Contra Costa 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 Madera Elementary
How many students attend Madera Elementary?
Madera Elementary has 457 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in El Cerrito, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Madera Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Madera Elementary is 22.9:1, which is 7% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 46% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Madera Elementary?
13.3% of students at Madera Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Madera Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Madera Elementary is White at 40.7% of enrollment, in El Cerrito, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Madera Elementary?
Madera Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher 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 Madera Elementary rank among elementary schools in El Cerrito?
By Resource Investment Index, Madera Elementary ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in El Cerrito, 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 El Cerrito on the city page.
Is Madera Elementary a good school?
Madera Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more 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 West Contra Costa Unified?
Besides Madera Elementary, West Contra Costa Unified also operates El Cerrito High (1,460 students), Richmond High (1,280 students), and Pinole Valley High (1,245 students). See the West Contra Costa 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.