Enrollment
488
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Willows, CA
Murdock Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Murdock Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 16/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 064271006977
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 2
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Murdock Elementary earns 16/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 82% of California schools.
- #6 of 6
- public schools in Willows · Resource Index
- 16
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.4:1
- small classes for California
- 68.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Murdock Elementary has class sizes smaller than 82% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Murdock Elementary ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Willows, CA.
School address
District: Willows Unified · California
NCES ID 064271006977 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Murdock Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Murdock Elementary
Murdock Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Willows, California, enrolling 488 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 17.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 68.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 488 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 2,131 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,688, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (50%) and White (39%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 488 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Willows Unified spends $12,914 per pupil, 22% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Willows's elementary schools, it stands alongside Walden Academy (167 students): Murdock Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.4:1 vs 15.2:1).
Willows Unified also operates Willows Intermediate (464 students) and Willows High (423 students) alongside Murdock 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 Murdock Elementary compares
Murdock 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 | 17.4:1 | ▼ 19% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.6% | ▲ 24% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 488 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
488
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
68.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 18% in California - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
42.0%
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
$12,914
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 488 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.5 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 49.6%
White 38.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 5.9%
Asian 4.1%
African American 0.8%
Two or More 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 49.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.9, Murdock Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Willows Unified, which includes Murdock Elementary.
$12,914
Per student
-22%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.9%
State 63.1%
Federal 8.0%
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 Murdock Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willows Intermediate | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Willows High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Willows Community High | Smaller | Higher economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Murdock Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 464
- Students per teacher
- 29:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 423
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 24
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar elementary schools in Willows
1 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 (~488 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Murdock Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Murdock Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Willows 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 Murdock Elementary
How many students attend Murdock Elementary?
Murdock Elementary has 488 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Willows, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Murdock Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Murdock Elementary is 17.4:1, which is 19% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 11% 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 Murdock Elementary?
68.6% of students at Murdock Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Murdock Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Murdock Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 49.6% of enrollment, in Willows, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Murdock Elementary?
Murdock Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 16/100 (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 Murdock Elementary rank among public schools in Willows?
By Resource Investment Index, Murdock Elementary ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Willows, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Willows on the city page.
Is Murdock Elementary a good school?
Murdock Elementary earns 16/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 82% 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 Willows Unified?
Besides Murdock Elementary, Willows Unified also operates Willows Intermediate (464 students), Willows High (423 students), and Willows Community High (24 students). See the Willows 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.