Enrollment
518
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Hanford, CA
Pioneer Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Pioneer Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 14/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063051004741Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 6
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 19
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pioneer Elementary earns 14/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #11 of 16
- elementary schools in Hanford · Resource Index
- 14
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.5:1
- students per teacher
- 44.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Pioneer Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pioneer Elementary ranks #11 of 16 elementary schools in Hanford, CA.
School address
District: Pioneer Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 063051004741 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-20% 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 charter elementary school in Hanford, California, enrolling 518 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.5:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 44.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 518 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,398 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,247, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (63%) and White (27%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1036 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Hanford's elementary schools, it stands alongside Kings River-Hardwick Elementary (860 students): Pioneer Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (23.5:1 vs 24.6:1).
Pioneer Union Elementary also operates Frontier Elementary (619 students) and Pioneer Middle (550 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 | 23.5:1 | ▲ 9% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.2% | ▼ 20% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 518 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.5:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
518
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% 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
23.5:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 67% in California - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
32.4%
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.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 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: 1.5 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 62.5%
White 26.8%
Asian 4.1%
Two or More 4.1%
African American 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 62.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.4, Pioneer Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
How Pioneer Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pioneer Middle | Similar size | Similar 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
- 619
- Students per teacher
- 28.1:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 550
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
Similar elementary schools in Hanford
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Kings River-Hardwick Elementary
Standard public school
860 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary
Standard public school
624 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
Frontier Elementary
Standard public school
619 students 28.1:1 students per teacher
Monroe Elementary
Standard public school
611 students 21.8:1 students per teacher
Joseph M. Simas
Standard public school
514 students 22.3:1 students per teacher
Jefferson Academy
Standard public school
501 students 27.8:1 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 (~518 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pioneer Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Pioneer Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Pioneer 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 Elementary
How many students attend Pioneer Elementary?
Pioneer Elementary has 518 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Hanford, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pioneer Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Pioneer Elementary is 23.5:1, which is 9% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 50% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pioneer Elementary?
44.2% 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 Hispanic or Latino at 62.5% of enrollment, in Hanford, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pioneer Elementary?
Pioneer Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 14/100 (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 Elementary rank among elementary schools in Hanford?
By Resource Investment Index, Pioneer Elementary ranks #11 of 16 elementary schools in Hanford, 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 Hanford on the city page.
Is Pioneer Elementary a good school?
Pioneer Elementary earns 14/100 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 Pioneer Union Elementary?
Besides Pioneer Elementary, Pioneer Union Elementary also operates Frontier Elementary (619 students) and Pioneer Middle (550 students). See the Pioneer 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.