Enrollment
405
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Coalinga, CA
Nell Dawson Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Nell Dawson Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 14/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060912010208
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Nell Dawson Elementary earns 14/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools.
- #2 of 4
- elementary schools in Coalinga · Resource Index
- 14
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.3:1
- small classes for California
- 70.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Nell Dawson Elementary has class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Nell Dawson Elementary ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Coalinga, CA.
School address
District: Coalinga-Huron Unified · California
NCES ID 060912010208 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Nell Dawson Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Nell Dawson Elementary
Nell Dawson Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Coalinga, California, enrolling 405 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 70.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 405 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,880 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,608, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 29/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1227 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Coalinga's elementary schools, it stands alongside Sunset Elementary (442 students): Nell Dawson Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.3:1 vs 27.6:1).
Coalinga-Huron Unified also operates Coalinga High (1,256 students) and Huron Elementary (723 students) alongside Nell Dawson 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 Nell Dawson Elementary compares
Nell Dawson 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 | 19.3:1 | ▼ 10% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.2% | ▲ 26% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 405 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.3:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
405
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
19.3:1
students per teacher
- 10% 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
39.0%
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
$15,378
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
Counselors0.3 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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 83.7%
White 11.6%
Two or More 2.5%
Asian 1.5%
African American 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 83.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.5, Nell Dawson Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Coalinga-Huron Unified, which includes Nell Dawson Elementary.
$15,378
Per student
-7%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.7%
State 72.1%
Federal 11.2%
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 Nell Dawson Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coalinga High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Huron Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Coalinga Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sunset Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Henry F. Bishop Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Nell Dawson Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,256
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 723
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 662
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 442
- Students per teacher
- 27.6:1
- Resource Index
- 7/100
- Enrollment
- 412
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 8/100
Similar elementary schools in Coalinga
3 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 (~405 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Nell Dawson Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Nell Dawson Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Coalinga-Huron 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 Nell Dawson Elementary
How many students attend Nell Dawson Elementary?
Nell Dawson Elementary has 405 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Coalinga, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Nell Dawson Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Nell Dawson Elementary is 19.3:1, which is 10% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 23% 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 Nell Dawson Elementary?
70.2% of students at Nell Dawson Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Nell Dawson Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Nell Dawson Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 83.7% of enrollment, in Coalinga, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Nell Dawson Elementary?
Nell Dawson Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 14/100 (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 Nell Dawson Elementary rank among elementary schools in Coalinga?
By Resource Investment Index, Nell Dawson Elementary ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Coalinga, 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 Coalinga on the city page.
Is Nell Dawson Elementary a good school?
Nell Dawson Elementary earns 14/100 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 Coalinga-Huron Unified?
Besides Nell Dawson Elementary, Coalinga-Huron Unified also operates Coalinga High (1,256 students), Huron Elementary (723 students), and Coalinga Middle (662 students). See the Coalinga-Huron 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.