Enrollment
307
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Rancho Cordova, CA
Peter J. Shields Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Peter J. Shields Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061389001580
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Peter J. Shields Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #6 of 11
- elementary schools in Rancho Cordova · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.5:1
- students per teacher
- 52.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Peter J. Shields Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Peter J. Shields Elementary ranks #6 of 11 elementary schools in Rancho Cordova, CA.
School address
District: Folsom-Cordova Unified · California
NCES ID 061389001580 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
-6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Peter J. Shields Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Peter J. Shields Elementary
Peter J. Shields Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Rancho Cordova, California, enrolling 307 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 20.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 52.1% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 307 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 941 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #464.
Its student body is led by White (37%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Rancho Cordova's elementary schools, it stands alongside Sunrise Elementary (1,235 students): Peter J. Shields Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.5:1 vs 30.9:1).
Folsom-Cordova Unified also operates Folsom High (2,901 students) and Cordova High (1,944 students) alongside Peter J. Shields 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 Peter J. Shields Elementary compares
Peter J. Shields 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 | 20.5:1 | ▼ 5% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.1% | ▼ 6% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 307 | top 73% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.5:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
307
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% 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
20.5:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 39% in California - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
41.4%
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
$13,871
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 + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 36.8%
Hispanic or Latino 32.2%
Two or More 15.6%
African American 8.1%
Asian 6.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 36.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.6, Peter J. Shields Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Folsom-Cordova Unified, which includes Peter J. Shields Elementary.
$13,871
Per student
-16%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.4%
State 49.9%
Federal 11.7%
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 Peter J. Shields Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Folsom High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cordova High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Vista Del Lago High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sutter Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Folsom Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Peter J. Shields Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,901
- Students per teacher
- 27.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,944
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,782
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,628
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,508
- Students per teacher
- 27.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar elementary schools in Rancho Cordova
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Sunrise Elementary
Standard public school
1,235 students 30.9:1 students per teacher
Robert J. Mcgarvey Elementary
Standard public school
840 students 25.5:1 students per teacher
Williamson Elementary
Standard public school
489 students 25.7:1 students per teacher
Cordova Villa Elementary
Standard public school
475 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Navigator Elementary
Standard public school
431 students 20.5:1 students per teacher
Rancho Cordova Elementary
Standard public school
407 students 21.4:1 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 (~307 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Peter J. Shields Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Peter J. Shields Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Folsom-Cordova 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 Peter J. Shields Elementary
How many students attend Peter J. Shields Elementary?
Peter J. Shields Elementary has 307 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Rancho Cordova, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Peter J. Shields Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Peter J. Shields Elementary is 20.5:1, which is 5% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 31% 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 Peter J. Shields Elementary?
52.1% of students at Peter J. Shields Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Peter J. Shields Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Peter J. Shields Elementary is White at 36.8% of enrollment, in Rancho Cordova, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Peter J. Shields Elementary?
Peter J. Shields Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Peter J. Shields Elementary rank among elementary schools in Rancho Cordova?
By Resource Investment Index, Peter J. Shields Elementary ranks #6 of 11 elementary schools in Rancho Cordova, 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 Rancho Cordova on the city page.
Is Peter J. Shields Elementary a good school?
Peter J. Shields Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Folsom-Cordova Unified?
Besides Peter J. Shields Elementary, Folsom-Cordova Unified also operates Folsom High (2,901 students), Cordova High (1,944 students), and Vista Del Lago High (1,782 students). See the Folsom-Cordova 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.