Enrollment
332
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Anderson, CA
Prairie Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Prairie 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 062928004523
👥 S:T ratio 12
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Prairie Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #7 of 8
- elementary schools in Anderson · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.1:1
- students per teacher
- 46.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Prairie Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie Elementary ranks #7 of 8 elementary schools in Anderson, CA.
School address
District: Pacheco Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 062928004523 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
-17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Prairie Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Prairie Elementary
Prairie Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Anderson, California, enrolling 332 students.
At 22.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 46.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 332 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 975 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #613.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 332 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Pacheco Union Elementary spends $12,539 per pupil, 24% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Anderson's elementary schools, it stands alongside Tree of Life International Charter (402 students): Prairie Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.1:1 vs 26.8:1).
Its district, Pacheco Union Elementary, also runs Pacheco Elementary (379 students).
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 Prairie Elementary compares
Prairie 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 | 22.1:1 | ▲ 3% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.1% | ▼ 17% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 332 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.1:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
332
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
22.1:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 54% in California - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
30.1%
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
$12,539
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 332 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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: 2.4 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
White 65.1%
Hispanic or Latino 17.8%
Two or More 12.7%
Asian 2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.8%
African American 0.6%
Largest group: White at 65.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.8, Prairie Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pacheco Union Elementary, which includes Prairie Elementary.
$12,539
Per student
-24%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.8%
State 43.0%
Federal 5.2%
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 Prairie Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacheco Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Prairie Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 379
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary schools in Anderson
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Tree of Life International Charter
Standard public school
402 students 26.8:1 students per teacher
Meadow Lane Elementary
Standard public school
398 students 19:1 students per teacher
Anderson Heights Elementary
Standard public school
261 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Happy Valley Elementary
Standard public school
242 students 22:1 students per teacher
Happy Valley Primary
Standard public school
217 students 19.7:1 students per teacher
North State Aspire Academy
Alternative education program
13 students 6.5:1 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 (~332 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Prairie Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Prairie Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Pacheco 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 Prairie Elementary
How many students attend Prairie Elementary?
Prairie Elementary has 332 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Anderson, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Prairie Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Prairie Elementary is 22.1:1, which is 3% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 41% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Prairie Elementary?
46.1% of students at Prairie Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Prairie Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Prairie Elementary is White at 65.1% of enrollment, in Anderson, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Prairie Elementary?
Prairie 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 Prairie Elementary rank among elementary schools in Anderson?
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie Elementary ranks #7 of 8 elementary schools in Anderson, 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 Anderson on the city page.
Is Prairie Elementary a good school?
Prairie Elementary earns 25/100 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 Pacheco Union Elementary?
Besides Prairie Elementary, Pacheco Union Elementary also operates Pacheco Elementary (379 students). See the Pacheco 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.