Enrollment
282
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Fortuna, CA
Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060142005171
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 39
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 85% of California schools.
- #4 of 4
- elementary schools in Fortuna · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.6:1
- small classes for California
- 71.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary has class sizes smaller than 85% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Fortuna, CA.
School address
District: Fortuna Elementary · California
NCES ID 060142005171 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
71.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary
Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Fortuna, California, enrolling 282 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 16.6:1, Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary is leaner than roughly 85% of California schools and 23% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 71.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 282 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,067 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #631.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 564 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Fortuna's elementary schools, it stands alongside Linell K. Walker Elementary (256 students): Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.6:1 vs 17.1:1).
Fortuna Elementary also operates Linell K. Walker Elementary (256 students) and Toddy Thomas Middle (233 students) alongside Norman G. Ambrosini 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 Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary compares
Norman G. Ambrosini 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 | 16.6:1 | ▼ 23% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.8% | ▲ 29% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 282 | top 76% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
282
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
71.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% 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
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 23% below state mean
Top 15% in California - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.5%
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
$14,612
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
Counselors0.5 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: 1.4 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
White 51.4%
Hispanic or Latino 32.3%
Two or More 8.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 6.0%
Asian 1.8%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: White at 51.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.1, Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fortuna Elementary, which includes Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary.
$14,612
Per student
-11%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.4%
State 59.3%
Federal 15.3%
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 Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linell K. Walker Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Toddy Thomas Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fortuna Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 256
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 233
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 231
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar elementary schools in Fortuna
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 (~282 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Fortuna Elementary'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 Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary
How many students attend Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary?
Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary has 282 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Fortuna, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary is 16.6:1, which is 23% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 6% 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 Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary?
71.8% of students at Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary is White at 51.4% of enrollment, in Fortuna, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary?
Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (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 Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary rank among elementary schools in Fortuna?
By Resource Investment Index, Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Fortuna, 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 Fortuna on the city page.
Is Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary a good school?
Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 85% 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 Fortuna Elementary?
Besides Norman G. Ambrosini Elementary, Fortuna Elementary also operates Linell K. Walker Elementary (256 students), Toddy Thomas Middle (233 students), and Fortuna Middle (231 students). See the Fortuna Elementary 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.