Enrollment
623
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Union City, CA
Pioneer Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Pioneer Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 19/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062691007795
👥 S:T ratio 4
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 24
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pioneer Elementary earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of California schools.
- #2 of 6
- elementary schools in Union City · Resource Index
- 19
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24:1
- large classes for California
- 24.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Pioneer Elementary has class sizes larger than 71% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pioneer Elementary ranks #2 of 6 elementary schools in Union City, CA.
School address
District: New Haven Unified · California
NCES ID 062691007795 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-56% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pioneer Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pioneer Elementary
Pioneer Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Union City, California, enrolling 623 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 24.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 623 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,371 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,258, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Asian (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%) (diversity index 57/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Union City's elementary schools, it stands alongside Guy Jr. Emanuele Elementary (746 students): Pioneer Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24:1 vs 28.7:1).
New Haven Unified also operates James Logan High (3,096 students) and Itliong-Vera Cruz (1,097 students) alongside Pioneer 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 Pioneer Elementary compares
Pioneer 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 | 24:1 | ▲ 12% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.2% | ▼ 56% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 623 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
623
Bigger than 75% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 56% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
24:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 71% in California - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
30.5%
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
$14,577
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 + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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
Asian 62.8%
Hispanic or Latino 17.3%
Two or More 7.7%
White 5.3%
African American 4.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.1%
Largest group: Asian at 62.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.5, Pioneer Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for New Haven Unified, which includes Pioneer Elementary.
$14,577
Per student
-12%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.0%
State 48.8%
Federal 8.2%
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 Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Logan High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Itliong-Vera Cruz | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cesar Chavez Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Guy Jr. Emanuele Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Searles Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pioneer Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,096
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,097
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 990
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 746
- Students per teacher
- 28.7:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 712
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
Similar elementary schools in Union City
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Guy Jr. Emanuele Elementary
Standard public school
746 students 28.7:1 students per teacher
Searles Elementary
Standard public school
712 students 23.7:1 students per teacher
Delaine Eastin Elementary
Standard public school
668 students 26.7:1 students per teacher
Alvarado Elementary
Standard public school
667 students 27.8:1 students per teacher
Tom Kitayama Elementary
Standard public school
653 students 27.2:1 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 (~623 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pioneer Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Pioneer Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- New Haven 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 Pioneer Elementary
How many students attend Pioneer Elementary?
Pioneer Elementary has 623 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Union City, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pioneer Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Pioneer Elementary is 24:1, which is 12% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 53% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pioneer Elementary?
24.2% of students at Pioneer Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pioneer Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Pioneer Elementary is Asian at 62.8% of enrollment, in Union City, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pioneer Elementary?
Pioneer Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (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 Pioneer Elementary rank among elementary schools in Union City?
By Resource Investment Index, Pioneer Elementary ranks #2 of 6 elementary schools in Union City, 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 Union City on the city page.
Is Pioneer Elementary a good school?
Pioneer Elementary earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% 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 New Haven Unified?
Besides Pioneer Elementary, New Haven Unified also operates James Logan High (3,096 students), Itliong-Vera Cruz (1,097 students), and Cesar Chavez Middle (990 students). See the New Haven 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.