Enrollment
76
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Independence, CA
Owens Valley Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Owens Valley Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062919007097
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Owens Valley Elementary earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 89% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.2:1
- small classes for California
- 44.9%
- free-lunch eligible
- 76
- students enrolled
Owens Valley Elementary has class sizes smaller than 89% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Owens Valley Unified · California
NCES ID 062919007097 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Owens Valley Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Owens Valley Elementary
Owens Valley Elementary is a small elementary school in Independence, California, enrolling 76 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 15.2:1, Owens Valley Elementary is leaner than roughly 89% of California schools and 29% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 44.9% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 92% of California schools, with 76 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 182 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #155, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (41%) and White (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 55.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Owens Valley Unified spends $30,407 per pupil, 84% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district, Owens Valley Unified, also runs Owens Valley High (23 students).
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 Owens Valley Elementary compares
Owens Valley 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 | 15.2:1 | ▼ 29% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.9% | ▼ 19% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 76 | top 92% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
76
Bigger than 8% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 29% below state mean
Top 11% in California - lower ratio than 89% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
55.3%
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
$30,407
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 40.8%
White 23.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 17.1%
Two or More 15.8%
Asian 2.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 40.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.2, Owens Valley Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Owens Valley Unified, which includes Owens Valley Elementary.
$30,407
Per student
+84%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+83%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 79.4%
State 13.8%
Federal 6.7%
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 Owens Valley Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owens Valley High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Owens Valley Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 23
- Students per teacher
- 7.7:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
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 (~76 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Owens Valley Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Owens Valley Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Owens Valley 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 Owens Valley Elementary
How many students attend Owens Valley Elementary?
Owens Valley Elementary has 76 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Independence, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Owens Valley Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Owens Valley Elementary is 15.2:1, which is 29% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 3% lower 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 Owens Valley Elementary?
44.9% of students at Owens Valley Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Owens Valley Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Owens Valley Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 40.8% of enrollment, in Independence, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Owens Valley Elementary?
Owens Valley Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (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).
Is Owens Valley Elementary a good school?
Owens Valley Elementary earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 89% of California schools. 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 Owens Valley Unified?
Besides Owens Valley Elementary, Owens Valley Unified also operates Owens Valley High (23 students). See the Owens Valley 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.