Enrollment
403
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Barstow, CA
Montara Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Montara 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 060402000364
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Montara Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools.
- #5 of 7
- elementary schools in Barstow · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.2:1
- small classes for California
- 86.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Montara Elementary has class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Montara Elementary ranks #5 of 7 elementary schools in Barstow, CA.
School address
District: Barstow Unified · California
NCES ID 060402000364 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
86.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+56% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Montara Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Montara Elementary
Montara Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Barstow, California, enrolling 403 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 86.8% of students qualify for free meals, 56% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 403 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.
Among 1,491 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,191, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (60%) and African American (15%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 403 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 79.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Barstow's elementary schools, it stands alongside Barstow Stem Academy (454 students): Montara Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.2:1 vs 34.9:1).
Barstow Unified also operates Barstow High (1,558 students) and Barstow Junior High (646 students) alongside Montara 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 Montara Elementary compares
Montara 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 | 19.2:1 | ▼ 11% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 86.8% | ▲ 56% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 403 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.2:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
403
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
86.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 56% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.2:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 29% in California - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
79.2%
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
$13,518
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 403 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.4 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 59.6%
African American 14.9%
White 12.2%
Two or More 11.4%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 59.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.5, Montara Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Barstow Unified, which includes Montara Elementary.
$13,518
Per student
-18%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 9.4%
State 79.5%
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 Montara Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barstow High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Barstow Junior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Barstow Stem Academy | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cameron Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Barstow Fine Arts Academy | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Montara Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,558
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 646
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 454
- Students per teacher
- 34.9:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 436
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 405
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar elementary schools in Barstow
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Barstow Stem Academy
Standard public school
454 students 34.9:1 students per teacher
Cameron Elementary
Standard public school
436 students 20.8:1 students per teacher
Barstow Fine Arts Academy
Standard public school
405 students 20.3:1 students per teacher
Henderson Elementary
Standard public school
398 students 19:1 students per teacher
Crestline Elementary
Standard public school
371 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
Skyline North Elementary
Standard public school
322 students 20.1:1 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 (~403 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Montara Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Montara Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Barstow 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 Montara Elementary
How many students attend Montara Elementary?
Montara Elementary has 403 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Barstow, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Montara Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Montara Elementary is 19.2:1, which is 11% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Montara Elementary?
86.8% of students at Montara Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Montara Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Montara Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 59.6% of enrollment, in Barstow, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Montara Elementary?
Montara 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 Montara Elementary rank among elementary schools in Barstow?
By Resource Investment Index, Montara Elementary ranks #5 of 7 elementary schools in Barstow, 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 Barstow on the city page.
Is Montara Elementary a good school?
Montara Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller 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 Barstow Unified?
Besides Montara Elementary, Barstow Unified also operates Barstow High (1,558 students), Barstow Junior High (646 students), and Barstow Stem Academy (454 students). See the Barstow 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.