Enrollment
482
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Sacramento, CA
Nicholas Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Nicholas Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063384005269
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Nicholas Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #33 of 124
- elementary schools in Sacramento · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21:1
- students per teacher
- 87.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Nicholas Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Nicholas Elementary ranks #33 of 124 elementary schools in Sacramento, CA.
School address
District: Sacramento City Unified · California
NCES ID 063384005269 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
87.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
+57% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Nicholas Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Nicholas Elementary
Nicholas Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Sacramento, California, enrolling 482 students.
At 21:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 87.1% of students qualify for free meals, 57% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 482 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,680 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #625.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (50%) and Asian (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 61.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Sacramento's elementary schools, it stands alongside Smythe Academy of Arts and Sciences (1,091 students): Nicholas Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21:1 vs 23.7:1).
Sacramento City Unified also operates C. K. Mcclatchy High (2,569 students) and Hiram W. Johnson High (1,682 students) alongside Nicholas 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 Nicholas Elementary compares
Nicholas 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 | 21:1 | ▼ 2% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.1% | ▲ 57% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 482 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
482
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
87.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 57% 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
21:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 43% in California - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
61.6%
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
$17,312
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 49.8%
Asian 24.7%
African American 11.2%
White 6.6%
Two or More 4.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 49.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.1, Nicholas Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sacramento City Unified, which includes Nicholas Elementary.
$17,312
Per student
+5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.8%
State 53.8%
Federal 19.4%
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 Nicholas Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| C. K. Mcclatchy High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hiram W. Johnson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| John F. Kennedy High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Luther Burbank High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rosemont High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Nicholas Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,569
- Students per teacher
- 28.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,682
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,652
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,535
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,485
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar elementary schools in Sacramento
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Smythe Academy of Arts and Sciences
Standard public school
1,091 students 23.7:1 students per teacher
Las Palmas Elementary
Standard public school
1,001 students 25.7:1 students per teacher
Mary Tsukamoto Elementary
Standard public school
989 students 26:1 students per teacher
Heron
Standard public school
977 students 23.3:1 students per teacher
Arnold Adreani Elementary
Standard public school
944 students 27:1 students per teacher
Paso Verde
Standard public school
897 students 23.6:1 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 (~482 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Nicholas Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Nicholas Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Sacramento City 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 Nicholas Elementary
How many students attend Nicholas Elementary?
Nicholas Elementary has 482 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Sacramento, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Nicholas Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Nicholas Elementary is 21:1, which is 2% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 34% 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 Nicholas Elementary?
87.1% of students at Nicholas Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Nicholas Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Nicholas Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 49.8% of enrollment, in Sacramento, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Nicholas Elementary?
Nicholas Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Nicholas Elementary rank among elementary schools in Sacramento?
By Resource Investment Index, Nicholas Elementary ranks #33 of 124 elementary schools in Sacramento, 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 Sacramento on the city page.
Is Nicholas Elementary a good school?
Nicholas Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Sacramento City Unified?
Besides Nicholas Elementary, Sacramento City Unified also operates C. K. Mcclatchy High (2,569 students), Hiram W. Johnson High (1,682 students), and John F. Kennedy High (1,652 students). See the Sacramento City 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.