Enrollment
712
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Atwater, CA
Peggy Heller Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Peggy Heller Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060342004672
👥 S:T ratio 8
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Peggy Heller Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #1 of 7
- elementary schools in Atwater · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 23:1
- students per teacher
- 53.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Peggy Heller Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Peggy Heller Elementary ranks #1 of 7 elementary schools in Atwater, CA.
School address
District: Atwater Elementary · California
NCES ID 060342004672 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Peggy Heller Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Peggy Heller Elementary
Peggy Heller Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Atwater, California, enrolling 712 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 53.0% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 712 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,410 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #67, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (70%) and White (19%) (diversity index 47/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Atwater's elementary schools, it stands alongside Bellevue Elementary (599 students): Peggy Heller Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23:1 vs 21.4:1).
Atwater Elementary also operates Mitchell Intermediate (744 students) and Bellevue Elementary (599 students) alongside Peggy Heller 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 Peggy Heller Elementary compares
Peggy Heller 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 | 23:1 | ▲ 7% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.0% | ▼ 5% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 712 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
712
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% 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
23:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 62% in California - lower ratio than 38% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
19.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,844
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 + 7 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 70.1%
White 19.4%
Asian 4.9%
Two or More 2.9%
African American 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 70.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.7, Peggy Heller Elementary is about as mixed as the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Atwater Elementary, which includes Peggy Heller Elementary.
$13,844
Per student
-16%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 8.6%
State 79.1%
Federal 12.3%
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 Peggy Heller Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell Intermediate | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bellevue Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mitchell Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Elmer Wood Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Shaffer Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Peggy Heller Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 744
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 599
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 528
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 514
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 405
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar elementary schools in Atwater
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Bellevue Elementary
Standard public school
599 students 21.4:1 students per teacher
Mitchell Elementary
Standard public school
528 students 24:1 students per teacher
Elmer Wood Elementary
Standard public school
514 students 22.3:1 students per teacher
Shaffer Elementary
Standard public school
405 students 17.6:1 students per teacher
Thomas Olaeta Elementary
Standard public school
374 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Aileen Colburn Elementary
Standard public school
371 students 19.5:1 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 (~712 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Peggy Heller Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Peggy Heller Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Atwater 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 Peggy Heller Elementary
How many students attend Peggy Heller Elementary?
Peggy Heller Elementary has 712 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Atwater, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Peggy Heller Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Peggy Heller Elementary is 23:1, which is 7% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 46% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Peggy Heller Elementary?
53.0% of students at Peggy Heller Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Peggy Heller Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Peggy Heller Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 70.1% of enrollment, in Atwater, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Peggy Heller Elementary?
Peggy Heller Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Peggy Heller Elementary rank among elementary schools in Atwater?
By Resource Investment Index, Peggy Heller Elementary ranks #1 of 7 elementary schools in Atwater, 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 Atwater on the city page.
Is Peggy Heller Elementary a good school?
Peggy Heller Elementary earns 43/100 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 Atwater Elementary?
Besides Peggy Heller Elementary, Atwater Elementary also operates Mitchell Intermediate (744 students), Bellevue Elementary (599 students), and Mitchell Elementary (528 students). See the Atwater 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.