Enrollment
217
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Carson, CA
Ralph Bunche Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Ralph Bunche Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060962000970
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ralph Bunche Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of California schools.
- #11 of 14
- elementary schools in Carson · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 27.1:1
- large classes for California
- 55.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Ralph Bunche Elementary has class sizes larger than 90% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ralph Bunche Elementary ranks #11 of 14 elementary schools in Carson, CA.
School address
District: Compton Unified · California
NCES ID 060962000970 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
+0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ralph Bunche Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ralph Bunche Elementary
Ralph Bunche Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Carson, California, enrolling 217 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.1:1 is larger than about 90% of California schools and 26% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 55.6% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 217 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 553 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #329.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (59%) and African American (39%) (diversity index 50/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Carson's elementary schools, it stands alongside Carson Street Elementary (623 students): Ralph Bunche Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (27.1:1 vs 20.8:1).
Compton Unified also operates Dominguez High (1,582 students) and Compton High (1,438 students) alongside Ralph Bunche 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 Ralph Bunche Elementary compares
Ralph Bunche 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 | 27.1:1 | ▲ 26% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.6% | ▲ 0% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 217 | top 82% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.1:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
217
Bigger than 21% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 0% 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
27.1:1
students per teacher
- 26% above state mean
Top 90% in California - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
33.2%
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
$15,270
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.5 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 59.0%
African American 38.7%
Two or More 1.4%
White 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 59.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.2, Ralph Bunche Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Compton Unified, which includes Ralph Bunche Elementary.
$15,270
Per student
-8%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.5%
State 70.8%
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 Ralph Bunche Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dominguez High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Compton High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Centennial High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Clinton William Jefferson | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kelly Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ralph Bunche Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,582
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,438
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 908
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 692
- Students per teacher
- 23.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 685
- Students per teacher
- 25.4:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar elementary schools in Carson
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Carson Street Elementary
Standard public school
623 students 20.8:1 students per teacher
Caroldale Learning Community
Standard public school
620 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Dominguez Elementary
Standard public school
450 students 21.4:1 students per teacher
Ambler Avenue Elementary
Standard public school
445 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Catskill Avenue Elementary
Standard public school
419 students 19:1 students per teacher
Two Hundred Thirty-Second Place
Standard public school
413 students 21.7:1 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 (~217 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~27.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ralph Bunche Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Ralph Bunche Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Compton 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 Ralph Bunche Elementary
How many students attend Ralph Bunche Elementary?
Ralph Bunche Elementary has 217 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Carson, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ralph Bunche Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ralph Bunche Elementary is 27.1:1, which is 26% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 73% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ralph Bunche Elementary?
55.6% of students at Ralph Bunche Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ralph Bunche Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ralph Bunche Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 59.0% of enrollment, in Carson, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ralph Bunche Elementary?
Ralph Bunche Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower 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 Ralph Bunche Elementary rank among elementary schools in Carson?
By Resource Investment Index, Ralph Bunche Elementary ranks #11 of 14 elementary schools in Carson, 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 Carson on the city page.
Is Ralph Bunche Elementary a good school?
Ralph Bunche Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% 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 Compton Unified?
Besides Ralph Bunche Elementary, Compton Unified also operates Dominguez High (1,582 students), Compton High (1,438 students), and Centennial High (908 students). See the Compton 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.