Enrollment
1,043
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Delano, CA
Pioneer
Federal NCES profile for Pioneer, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061089013246
👥 S:T ratio 7
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 41
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pioneer earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #10 of 10
- elementary schools in Delano · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.2:1
- students per teacher
- 76.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Pioneer has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pioneer ranks #10 of 10 elementary schools in Delano, CA.
School address
District: Delano Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 061089013246 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
+37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pioneer compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pioneer
Pioneer is a high-poverty, large elementary school in Delano, California, enrolling 1,043 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.2:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 76.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 90% of state schools at 1,043 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 858 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #284.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (92% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 15/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1043 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 22.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Delano's elementary schools, it stands alongside Nueva Vista Language Academy (684 students): Pioneer is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.2:1 vs 22.8:1).
Delano Union Elementary also operates Nueva Vista Language Academy (684 students) and Cecil Avenue Math and Science Academy (585 students) alongside Pioneer.
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 Pioneer compares
Pioneer on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 23.2:1 | ▲ 8% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.1% | ▲ 37% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,043 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.2:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,043
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% 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
23.2:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 64% in California - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
23.8%
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
$19,208
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 1043 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 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 92.1%
Asian 4.3%
White 1.4%
Two or More 1.0%
African American 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 92.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.0, Pioneer is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Delano Union Elementary, which includes Pioneer.
$19,208
Per student
+16%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 12.5%
State 65.0%
Federal 22.5%
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 Pioneer Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nueva Vista Language Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cecil Avenue Math and Science Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Almond Tree Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Del Vista Math and Science Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| La Vina Middle | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pioneer's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 684
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 585
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 554
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 526
- Students per teacher
- 23.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 521
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar elementary schools in Delano
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Nueva Vista Language Academy
Standard public school
684 students 22.8:1 students per teacher
Del Vista Math and Science Academy
Standard public school
526 students 23.9:1 students per teacher
Morningside
Standard public school
477 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
Fremont Elementary
Standard public school
440 students 22:1 students per teacher
Harvest Elementary
Standard public school
365 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Terrace Elementary
Standard public school
363 students 18.1:1 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 (~1,043 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pioneer's federal record.
- Compare Pioneer against another school. Compare schools
- Delano Union 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 Pioneer
How many students attend Pioneer?
Pioneer has 1,043 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Delano, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pioneer?
The student-teacher ratio at Pioneer is 23.2:1, which is 8% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 48% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pioneer?
76.1% of students at Pioneer are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pioneer?
The largest demographic group at Pioneer is Hispanic or Latino at 92.1% of enrollment, in Delano, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pioneer?
Pioneer has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Pioneer rank among elementary schools in Delano?
By Resource Investment Index, Pioneer ranks #10 of 10 elementary schools in Delano, 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 Delano on the city page.
Is Pioneer a good school?
Pioneer earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less 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 Delano Union Elementary?
Besides Pioneer, Delano Union Elementary also operates Nueva Vista Language Academy (684 students), Cecil Avenue Math and Science Academy (585 students), and Almond Tree Middle (554 students). See the Delano Union 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.