Enrollment
32
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bakersfield, CA
Rafer Johnson
Federal NCES profile for Rafer Johnson, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060363014223
👥 S:T ratio 74
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rafer Johnson earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of California schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in California.
- #16 of 97
- elementary schools in Bakersfield · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 6.4:1
- small classes for California
- 78.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Rafer Johnson has class sizes smaller than 98% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rafer Johnson ranks #16 of 97 elementary schools in Bakersfield, CA.
School address
District: Bakersfield City · California
NCES ID 060363014223 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
6.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-70% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rafer Johnson compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rafer Johnson
Rafer Johnson is a high-poverty, small elementary school in Bakersfield, California, enrolling 32 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 6.4:1, Rafer Johnson is leaner than roughly 98% of California schools and 70% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 78.1% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 96% of California schools, with 32 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 129 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #82.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (53%) and African American (41%) (diversity index 55/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 93.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Bakersfield's elementary schools, it stands alongside Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8 (1,151 students): Rafer Johnson is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (6.4:1 vs 25.6:1).
Bakersfield City also operates Curran Middle (973 students) and Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary (960 students) alongside Rafer Johnson.
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 Rafer Johnson compares
Rafer Johnson on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 6.4:1 | ▼ 70% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.1% | ▲ 41% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 32 | top 96% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
6.4:1
Leaner classes than 97% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
32
Bigger than 4% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
6.4:1
students per teacher
- 70% below state mean
Top 2% in California - lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
93.8%
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
$17,295
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 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 53.1%
African American 40.6%
White 3.1%
Two or More 3.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 53.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.1, Rafer Johnson is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bakersfield City, which includes Rafer Johnson.
$17,295
Per student
+5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 6.5%
State 77.8%
Federal 15.7%
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 Rafer Johnson Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curran Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Voorhies Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Walter Stiern Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Horace Mann Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rafer Johnson's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 973
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 960
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 915
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 891
- Students per teacher
- 25.5:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 870
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar elementary schools in Bakersfield
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8
Standard public school
1,151 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Veterans Elementary
Standard public school
1,002 students 27.8:1 students per teacher
Douglas J. Miller Elementary
Standard public school
994 students 29.2:1 students per teacher
Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary
Standard public school
960 students 24:1 students per teacher
Berkshire Elementary
Standard public school
932 students 28.2:1 students per teacher
Patriot Elementary
Standard public school
931 students 23.3:1 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 (~32 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rafer Johnson's federal record.
- Compare Rafer Johnson against another school. Compare schools
- Bakersfield City'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 Rafer Johnson
How many students attend Rafer Johnson?
Rafer Johnson has 32 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bakersfield, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rafer Johnson?
The student-teacher ratio at Rafer Johnson is 6.4:1, which is 70% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 59% lower 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 Rafer Johnson?
78.1% of students at Rafer Johnson are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rafer Johnson?
The largest demographic group at Rafer Johnson is Hispanic or Latino at 53.1% of enrollment, in Bakersfield, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rafer Johnson?
Rafer Johnson has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical 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 Rafer Johnson rank among elementary schools in Bakersfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Rafer Johnson ranks #16 of 97 elementary schools in Bakersfield, 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 Bakersfield on the city page.
Is Rafer Johnson a good school?
Rafer Johnson earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of California schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in California. 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 Bakersfield City?
Besides Rafer Johnson, Bakersfield City also operates Curran Middle (973 students), Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary (960 students), and Voorhies Elementary (915 students). See the Bakersfield City 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.