Enrollment
384
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Petaluma, CA
Meadow Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Meadow Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 064179010332
👥 S:T ratio 4
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 84
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Meadow Elementary earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of California schools.
- #9 of 25
- elementary schools in Petaluma · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24:1
- large classes for California
- 11.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Meadow Elementary has class sizes larger than 71% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Meadow Elementary ranks #9 of 25 elementary schools in Petaluma, CA.
School address
District: Waugh Elementary · California
NCES ID 064179010332 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-79% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Meadow Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Meadow Elementary
Meadow Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Petaluma, California, enrolling 384 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 11.7% free-meal eligibility runs 79% below the California average.
With 384 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.
Against 692 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #241.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 768 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Waugh Elementary spends $12,281 per pupil, 26% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Petaluma's elementary schools, it stands alongside Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley (494 students): Meadow Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24:1 vs 29.1:1).
Its district, Waugh Elementary, also runs Corona Creek Elementary (403 students).
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 Meadow Elementary compares
Meadow 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 | 24:1 | ▲ 12% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.7% | ▼ 79% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 384 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
384
Bigger than 45% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 79% 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
24:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 71% in California - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
6.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$12,281
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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 58.9%
Hispanic or Latino 20.1%
Two or More 14.3%
Asian 5.5%
African American 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 58.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.9, Meadow Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waugh Elementary, which includes Meadow Elementary.
$12,281
Per student
-26%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.4%
State 57.3%
Federal 4.3%
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 Meadow Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corona Creek Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Meadow Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 403
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar elementary schools in Petaluma
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley
Standard public school
494 students 29.1:1 students per teacher
Loma Vista Immersion Academy
Standard public school
451 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Sonoma Mountain Elementary
Standard public school
422 students 26.4:1 students per teacher
Corona Creek Elementary
Standard public school
403 students 22.4:1 students per teacher
Grant Elementary
Standard public school
386 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Mckinley Elementary
Standard public school
368 students 24.5:1 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 (~384 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Meadow Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Meadow Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Waugh 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 Meadow Elementary
How many students attend Meadow Elementary?
Meadow Elementary has 384 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Petaluma, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Meadow Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Meadow Elementary is 24:1, which is 12% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 53% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Meadow Elementary?
11.7% of students at Meadow Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Meadow Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Meadow Elementary is White at 58.9% of enrollment, in Petaluma, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Meadow Elementary?
Meadow Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Meadow Elementary rank among elementary schools in Petaluma?
By Resource Investment Index, Meadow Elementary ranks #9 of 25 elementary schools in Petaluma, 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 Petaluma on the city page.
Is Meadow Elementary a good school?
Meadow Elementary earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% 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 Waugh Elementary?
Besides Meadow Elementary, Waugh Elementary also operates Corona Creek Elementary (403 students). See the Waugh 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.