Enrollment
876
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bakersfield, CA
Panama Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Panama Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060639009329
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Panama Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of California schools.
- #35 of 97
- elementary schools in Bakersfield · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 29.2:1
- large classes for California
- 62.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Panama Elementary has class sizes larger than 95% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Panama Elementary ranks #35 of 97 elementary schools in Bakersfield, CA.
School address
District: Panama-Buena Vista Union · California
NCES ID 060639009329 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
29.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+36% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Panama Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Panama Elementary
Panama Elementary is a higher-need, large elementary school in Bakersfield, California, enrolling 876 students.
Class loads run heavy: 29.2:1 is larger than about 95% of California schools and 36% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 62.2% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 876 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,241 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #349.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (66%) and Asian (10%) (diversity index 54/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Bakersfield's elementary schools, it stands alongside Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8 (1,151 students): Panama Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (29.2:1 vs 25.6:1).
Panama-Buena Vista Union also operates Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8 (1,151 students) and Douglas J. Miller Elementary (994 students) alongside Panama 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 Panama Elementary compares
Panama 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 | 29.2:1 | ▲ 36% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.2% | ▲ 12% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 876 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
29.2:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
876
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% 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
29.2:1
students per teacher
- 36% above state mean
Top 95% in California - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
31.6%
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
$14,357
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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 66.0%
Asian 10.3%
Two or More 10.3%
White 7.7%
African American 5.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 66.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.5, Panama Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Panama-Buena Vista Union, which includes Panama Elementary.
$14,357
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 10.2%
State 71.3%
Federal 18.5%
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 Panama Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8 | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Douglas J. Miller Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Stonecreek Junior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Earl Warren Junior High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Berkshire Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Panama Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,151
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 994
- Students per teacher
- 29.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 986
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 965
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 932
- Students per teacher
- 28.2:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar elementary schools in Bakersfield
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8
Standard public school
1,151 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Veterans Elementary
Standard public school
1,002 students 27.8:1 students per teacher
Douglas J. Miller Elementary
Standard public school
994 students 29.2:1 students per teacher
Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary
Standard public school
960 students 24:1 students per teacher
Berkshire Elementary
Standard public school
932 students 28.2:1 students per teacher
Patriot Elementary
Standard public school
931 students 23.3:1 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 (~876 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Panama Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Panama Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Panama-Buena Vista Union'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 Panama Elementary
How many students attend Panama Elementary?
Panama Elementary has 876 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bakersfield, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Panama Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Panama Elementary is 29.2:1, which is 36% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 86% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Panama Elementary?
62.2% of students at Panama Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Panama Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Panama Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 66.0% of enrollment, in Bakersfield, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Panama Elementary?
Panama Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (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 Panama Elementary rank among elementary schools in Bakersfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Panama Elementary ranks #35 of 97 elementary schools in Bakersfield, 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 Bakersfield on the city page.
Is Panama Elementary a good school?
Panama Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% 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 Panama-Buena Vista Union?
Besides Panama Elementary, Panama-Buena Vista Union also operates Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8 (1,151 students), Douglas J. Miller Elementary (994 students), and Stonecreek Junior High (986 students). See the Panama-Buena Vista Union 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.