Enrollment
321
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Oroville, CA
Poplar Avenue Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Poplar Avenue Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063918006545
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Poplar Avenue Elementary earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of California schools.
- #8 of 15
- elementary schools in Oroville · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 29.2:1
- large classes for California
- 70.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Poplar Avenue Elementary has class sizes larger than 95% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Poplar Avenue Elementary ranks #8 of 15 elementary schools in Oroville, CA.
School address
District: Thermalito Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 063918006545 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
29.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+36% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
+26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Poplar Avenue Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Poplar Avenue Elementary
Poplar Avenue Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Oroville, California, enrolling 321 students.
Class loads run heavy: 29.2:1 is larger than about 95% of California schools and 36% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 70.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 321 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,344 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #893.
Its student body is led by Asian (50%) and White (27%) (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 321 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Oroville's elementary schools, it stands alongside Helen M. Wilcox Elementary (592 students): Poplar Avenue Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (29.2:1 vs 24.7:1).
Thermalito Union Elementary also operates Nelson Avenue Middle (456 students) and Sierra Avenue Elementary (365 students) alongside Poplar Avenue 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 Poplar Avenue Elementary compares
Poplar Avenue 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 | 29.2:1 | ▲ 36% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.1% | ▲ 26% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 321 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
29.2:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
321
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
29.2:1
students per teacher
- 36% above state mean
Top 95% in California - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
29.0%
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
$16,669
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 321 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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: 2.2 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 49.8%
White 27.4%
Hispanic or Latino 12.8%
Two or More 7.8%
African American 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Asian at 49.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.4, Poplar Avenue Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Thermalito Union Elementary, which includes Poplar Avenue Elementary.
$16,669
Per student
+1%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 12.7%
State 64.1%
Federal 23.2%
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 Poplar Avenue Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson Avenue Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sierra Avenue Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Plumas Avenue Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Siskiyou Avenue Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Heritage Community Day | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Poplar Avenue Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 456
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 365
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 322
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 46
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 8/100
- Enrollment
- 5
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 63/100
Similar elementary schools in Oroville
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Helen M. Wilcox Elementary
Standard public school
592 students 24.7:1 students per teacher
Stream Charter
Standard public school
515 students 30.3:1 students per teacher
Ophir Elementary
Standard public school
452 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Stanford Avenue Elementary
Standard public school
403 students 21.2:1 students per teacher
Sierra Avenue Elementary
Standard public school
365 students 21.5:1 students per teacher
Plumas Avenue Elementary
Standard public school
322 students 24.8:1 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 (~321 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Poplar Avenue Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Poplar Avenue Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Thermalito 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 Poplar Avenue Elementary
How many students attend Poplar Avenue Elementary?
Poplar Avenue Elementary has 321 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Oroville, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Poplar Avenue Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Poplar Avenue Elementary is 29.2:1, which is 36% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 86% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Poplar Avenue Elementary?
70.1% of students at Poplar Avenue Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Poplar Avenue Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Poplar Avenue Elementary is Asian at 49.8% of enrollment, in Oroville, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Poplar Avenue Elementary?
Poplar Avenue Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (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 Poplar Avenue Elementary rank among elementary schools in Oroville?
By Resource Investment Index, Poplar Avenue Elementary ranks #8 of 15 elementary schools in Oroville, 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 Oroville on the city page.
Is Poplar Avenue Elementary a good school?
Poplar Avenue Elementary earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% 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 Thermalito Union Elementary?
Besides Poplar Avenue Elementary, Thermalito Union Elementary also operates Nelson Avenue Middle (456 students), Sierra Avenue Elementary (365 students), and Plumas Avenue Elementary (322 students). See the Thermalito 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.