Enrollment
571
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Chico, CA
Marigold Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Marigold 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 060837000821
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 43
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Marigold Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of California schools.
- #17 of 19
- elementary schools in Chico · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 27.2:1
- large classes for California
- 34.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Marigold Elementary has class sizes larger than 90% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Marigold Elementary ranks #17 of 19 elementary schools in Chico, CA.
School address
District: Chico Unified · California
NCES ID 060837000821 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Marigold Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Marigold Elementary
Marigold Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Chico, California, enrolling 571 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.2:1 is larger than about 90% of California schools and 27% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 34.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 571 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 1,391 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,226, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 571 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Chico's elementary schools, it stands alongside Shasta Elementary (621 students): Marigold Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (27.2:1 vs 21.4:1).
Chico Unified also operates Pleasant Valley High (1,978 students) and Chico High (1,804 students) alongside Marigold 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 Marigold Elementary compares
Marigold 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 | 27.2:1 | ▲ 27% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.0% | ▼ 39% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 571 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.2:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
571
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
27.2:1
students per teacher
- 27% above state mean
Top 90% in California - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
22.9%
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
$15,280
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 571 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 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 58.7%
Hispanic or Latino 22.9%
Two or More 12.3%
Asian 4.0%
African American 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 58.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.6, Marigold Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chico Unified, which includes Marigold Elementary.
$15,280
Per student
-7%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.8%
State 51.0%
Federal 13.3%
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 Marigold Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pleasant Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Chico High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bidwell Junior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Chico Junior High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Marigold Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,978
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,804
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,012
- Students per teacher
- 24.7:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 861
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 716
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar elementary schools in Chico
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Shasta Elementary
Standard public school
621 students 21.4:1 students per teacher
Emma Wilson Elementary
Standard public school
597 students 21.3:1 students per teacher
Chico Country Day
Standard public school
585 students 25.4:1 students per teacher
Rosedale Elementary
Standard public school
563 students 23.5:1 students per teacher
Little Chico Creek Elementary
Standard public school
471 students 21.4:1 students per teacher
Sierra View Elementary
Alternative education program
428 students 20.4:1 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 (~571 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~27.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Marigold Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Marigold Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Chico 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 Marigold Elementary
How many students attend Marigold Elementary?
Marigold Elementary has 571 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Chico, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Marigold Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Marigold Elementary is 27.2:1, which is 27% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 73% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Marigold Elementary?
34.0% of students at Marigold Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Marigold Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Marigold Elementary is White at 58.7% of enrollment, in Chico, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Marigold Elementary?
Marigold Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (lower 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 Marigold Elementary rank among elementary schools in Chico?
By Resource Investment Index, Marigold Elementary ranks #17 of 19 elementary schools in Chico, 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 Chico on the city page.
Is Marigold Elementary a good school?
Marigold Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% 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 Chico Unified?
Besides Marigold Elementary, Chico Unified also operates Pleasant Valley High (1,978 students), Chico High (1,804 students), and Bidwell Junior High (1,012 students). See the Chico 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.