Enrollment
450
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Fontana, CA
Poplar Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Poplar Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061392001598
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Poplar Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 79% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #22 of 39
- elementary schools in Fontana · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18:1
- small classes for California
- 74.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Poplar Elementary has class sizes smaller than 79% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Poplar Elementary ranks #22 of 39 elementary schools in Fontana, CA.
School address
District: Fontana Unified · California
NCES ID 061392001598 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Poplar Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Poplar Elementary
Poplar Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Fontana, California, enrolling 450 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 74.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 450 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 2,091 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #1,038.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 10/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 900 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 49.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Fontana's elementary schools, it stands alongside Sierra Lakes Elementary (902 students): Poplar Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18:1 vs 25.8:1).
Fontana Unified also operates Summit High (2,725 students) and Fontana High (2,534 students) alongside Poplar 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 Elementary compares
Poplar 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 | 18:1 | ▼ 16% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.1% | ▲ 34% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 450 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
450
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% 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
18:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 21% in California - lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
49.1%
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
$17,580
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.2 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
Hispanic or Latino 95.1%
White 2.0%
African American 1.6%
Asian 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 95.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 9.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 9.5, Poplar Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fontana Unified, which includes Poplar Elementary.
$17,580
Per student
+6%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.2%
State 72.0%
Federal 13.8%
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 Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summit High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fontana High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fontana a. B. Miller High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jurupa Hills High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Henry J. Kaiser High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Poplar Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,725
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,534
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,950
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,739
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,660
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar elementary schools in Fontana
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Sierra Lakes Elementary
Standard public school
902 students 25.8:1 students per teacher
Cecilia Lucero Solorio Elementary
Standard public school
813 students 28:1 students per teacher
David W. Long Elementary
Standard public school
757 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
Nancy R. Kordyak Elementary
Standard public school
718 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Dorothy Grant Innovations Academy
Standard public school
682 students 22.7:1 students per teacher
Redwood Elementary
Standard public school
654 students 23.4:1 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 (~450 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Poplar Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Poplar Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Fontana 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 Poplar Elementary
How many students attend Poplar Elementary?
Poplar Elementary has 450 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Fontana, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Poplar Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Poplar Elementary is 18:1, which is 16% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 15% 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 Poplar Elementary?
74.1% of students at Poplar Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Poplar Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Poplar Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 95.1% of enrollment, in Fontana, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Poplar Elementary?
Poplar Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (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 Elementary rank among elementary schools in Fontana?
By Resource Investment Index, Poplar Elementary ranks #22 of 39 elementary schools in Fontana, 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 Fontana on the city page.
Is Poplar Elementary a good school?
Poplar Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 79% of California schools. 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 Fontana Unified?
Besides Poplar Elementary, Fontana Unified also operates Summit High (2,725 students), Fontana High (2,534 students), and Fontana a. B. Miller High (1,950 students). See the Fontana 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.