Enrollment
270
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Palo Cedro, CA
North Cow Creek Elementary
Federal NCES profile for North Cow Creek Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062751004138
👥 S:T ratio 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
North Cow Creek Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Palo Cedro · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.5:1
- students per teacher
- 16.8%
- free-lunch eligible
North Cow Creek Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, North Cow Creek Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Palo Cedro, CA.
School address
District: North Cow Creek Elementary · California
NCES ID 062751004138 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
16.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
-70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How North Cow Creek Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at North Cow Creek Elementary
North Cow Creek Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Palo Cedro, California, enrolling 270 students.
At 22.5:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 16.8% free-meal eligibility runs 70% below the California average.
Enrollment of 270 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 349 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #140.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Two or More (11%) (diversity index 38/100).
11.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding North Cow Creek Elementary spends $11,321 per pupil, 31% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Palo Cedro's elementary schools, it stands alongside Junction Elementary (416 students): North Cow Creek Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (22.5:1 vs 18.9:1).
North Cow Creek Elementary operates only this one school, so North Cow Creek Elementary has no district-mates to compare against locally.
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 North Cow Creek Elementary compares
North Cow Creek 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 | 22.5:1 | ▲ 5% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 16.8% | ▼ 70% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 270 | top 77% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.5:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
270
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
16.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 70% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
22.5:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 58% in California - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
11.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$11,321
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.2 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 77.8%
Two or More 11.1%
Hispanic or Latino 7.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.3%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: White at 77.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.6, North Cow Creek Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for North Cow Creek Elementary, which includes North Cow Creek Elementary.
$11,321
Per student
-31%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.8%
State 66.5%
Federal 7.6%
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.
Similar elementary schools in Palo Cedro
2 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 (~270 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on North Cow Creek Elementary's federal record.
- Compare North Cow Creek Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- North Cow Creek 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 North Cow Creek Elementary
How many students attend North Cow Creek Elementary?
North Cow Creek Elementary has 270 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Palo Cedro, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North Cow Creek Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at North Cow Creek Elementary is 22.5:1, which is 5% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 43% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at North Cow Creek Elementary?
16.8% of students at North Cow Creek Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of North Cow Creek Elementary?
The largest demographic group at North Cow Creek Elementary is White at 77.8% of enrollment, in Palo Cedro, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for North Cow Creek Elementary?
North Cow Creek Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical 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 North Cow Creek Elementary rank among elementary schools in Palo Cedro?
By Resource Investment Index, North Cow Creek Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Palo Cedro, 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 Palo Cedro on the city page.
Is North Cow Creek Elementary a good school?
North Cow Creek Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 North Cow Creek Elementary?
None reported; North Cow Creek Elementary operates only North Cow Creek Elementary as a public school district in NCES's records.
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.