Enrollment
532
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Modesto, CA
Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063795011497
👥 S:T ratio 3
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #24 of 53
- elementary schools in Modesto · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.2:1
- large classes for California
- 51.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary has class sizes larger than 73% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary ranks #24 of 53 elementary schools in Modesto, CA.
School address
District: Stanislaus Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 063795011497 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary
Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Modesto, California, enrolling 532 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.2:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 51.0% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 532 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 1,557 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #975.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (48%) and White (22%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Modesto's elementary schools, it stands alongside Great Valley Academy (972 students): Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24.2:1 vs 27.8:1).
Stanislaus Union Elementary also operates Prescott Junior High (746 students) and Josephine Chrysler Elementary (621 students) alongside Mary Lou Dieterich 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 Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary compares
Mary Lou Dieterich 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 | 24.2:1 | ▲ 13% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.0% | ▼ 8% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 532 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.2:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
532
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
24.2:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 73% in California - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
26.1%
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
$15,580
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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: 0.8 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 48.1%
White 22.4%
Two or More 14.1%
Asian 10.5%
African American 3.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 48.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.6, Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Stanislaus Union Elementary, which includes Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary.
$15,580
Per student
-6%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.5%
State 61.7%
Federal 11.9%
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 Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prescott Junior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Josephine Chrysler Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Agnes M. Baptist Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| George Eisenhut Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Stanislaus Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 746
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 621
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
- Enrollment
- 606
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 513
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 11/100
- Enrollment
- 307
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar elementary schools in Modesto
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Great Valley Academy
Standard public school
972 students 27.8:1 students per teacher
Great Valley Academy - Salida
Standard public school
927 students 27.3:1 students per teacher
Bret Harte Elementary
Standard public school
867 students 23.4:1 students per teacher
Fairview Elementary
Standard public school
786 students 27.1:1 students per teacher
Franklin Elementary
Standard public school
777 students 25.1:1 students per teacher
Freedom Elementary
Standard public school
713 students 25.5:1 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 (~532 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Stanislaus Union Elementary'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 Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary
How many students attend Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary?
Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary has 532 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Modesto, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary is 24.2:1, which is 13% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 54% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary?
51.0% of students at Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 48.1% of enrollment, in Modesto, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary?
Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (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 Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary rank among elementary schools in Modesto?
By Resource Investment Index, Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary ranks #24 of 53 elementary schools in Modesto, 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 Modesto on the city page.
Is Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary a good school?
Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of California schools. 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 Stanislaus Union Elementary?
Besides Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary, Stanislaus Union Elementary also operates Prescott Junior High (746 students), Josephine Chrysler Elementary (621 students), and Agnes M. Baptist Elementary (606 students). See the Stanislaus Union Elementary 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.