Enrollment
364
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Chico, CA
Neal Dow Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Neal Dow Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060837000823
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 31
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Neal Dow Elementary earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools.
- #11 of 19
- elementary schools in Chico · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.2:1
- small classes for California
- 56.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Neal Dow Elementary has class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Neal Dow Elementary ranks #11 of 19 elementary schools in Chico, CA.
School address
District: Chico Unified · California
NCES ID 060837000823 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
+2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Neal Dow Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Neal Dow Elementary
Neal Dow Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Chico, California, enrolling 364 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 56.4% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 364 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,338 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #611.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and Hispanic or Latino (28%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 364 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Chico's elementary schools, it stands alongside Shasta Elementary (621 students): Neal Dow Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.2:1 vs 21.4:1).
Chico Unified also operates Pleasant Valley High (1,978 students) and Chico High (1,804 students) alongside Neal Dow 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 Neal Dow Elementary compares
Neal Dow 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 | 56.4% | ▲ 2% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 364 | top 66% | - | - |
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.
364
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% 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
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
27.7%
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 364 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 53.6%
Hispanic or Latino 27.5%
Two or More 13.5%
Asian 3.0%
African American 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 53.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.8, Neal Dow 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 Neal Dow 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 Neal Dow Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pleasant Valley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chico High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bidwell Junior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chico Junior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Neal Dow 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
Marigold Elementary
Standard public school
571 students 27.2:1 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
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 (~364 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Neal Dow Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Neal Dow 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 Neal Dow Elementary
How many students attend Neal Dow Elementary?
Neal Dow Elementary has 364 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Chico, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Neal Dow Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Neal Dow 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 Neal Dow Elementary?
56.4% of students at Neal Dow Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Neal Dow Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Neal Dow Elementary is White at 53.6% of enrollment, in Chico, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Neal Dow Elementary?
Neal Dow Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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 Neal Dow Elementary rank among elementary schools in Chico?
By Resource Investment Index, Neal Dow Elementary ranks #11 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 Neal Dow Elementary a good school?
Neal Dow Elementary earns 28/100 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 Chico Unified?
Besides Neal Dow 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.