Enrollment
548
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Burbank, CA
Ralph Emerson Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Ralph Emerson Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060645000567
👥 S:T ratio 5
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ralph Emerson Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of California schools.
- #8 of 11
- elementary schools in Burbank · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 23.8:1
- large classes for California
- 29.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Ralph Emerson Elementary has class sizes larger than 70% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ralph Emerson Elementary ranks #8 of 11 elementary schools in Burbank, CA.
School address
District: Burbank Unified · California
NCES ID 060645000567 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-47% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ralph Emerson Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ralph Emerson Elementary
Ralph Emerson Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Burbank, California, enrolling 548 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.8:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 29.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 548 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,392 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #389.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 56/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Burbank's elementary schools, it stands alongside Thomas Jefferson Elementary (758 students): Ralph Emerson Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (23.8:1 vs 27.1:1).
Burbank Unified also operates Burbank High (2,457 students) and Burroughs High (2,283 students) alongside Ralph Emerson 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 Emerson Elementary compares
Ralph Emerson 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 | 23.8:1 | ▲ 11% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.3% | ▼ 47% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 548 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.8:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
548
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 47% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
23.8:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 70% in California - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
23.9%
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
$14,677
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
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 62.6%
Hispanic or Latino 15.5%
Two or More 11.7%
Asian 8.9%
African American 1.3%
Largest group: White at 62.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.2, Ralph Emerson Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Burbank Unified, which includes Ralph Emerson Elementary.
$14,677
Per student
-11%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.7%
State 52.3%
Federal 11.0%
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 Emerson Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burbank High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Burroughs High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| John Muir Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Luther Burbank Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dolores Huerta Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ralph Emerson Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,457
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,283
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,353
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,030
- Students per teacher
- 27.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 931
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar elementary schools in Burbank
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Thomas Jefferson Elementary
Standard public school
758 students 27.1:1 students per teacher
Joaquin Miller Elementary
Standard public school
730 students 23.5:1 students per teacher
Theodore Roosevelt Elementary
Standard public school
591 students 26.9:1 students per teacher
Bret Harte Elementary
Standard public school
537 students 22.4:1 students per teacher
R. L. Stevenson Elementary
Standard public school
521 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
William Mckinley Elementary
Standard public school
440 students 23.2:1 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 (~548 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ralph Emerson Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Ralph Emerson Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Burbank 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 Emerson Elementary
How many students attend Ralph Emerson Elementary?
Ralph Emerson Elementary has 548 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Burbank, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ralph Emerson Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ralph Emerson Elementary is 23.8:1, which is 11% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 52% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ralph Emerson Elementary?
29.3% of students at Ralph Emerson Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ralph Emerson Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ralph Emerson Elementary is White at 62.6% of enrollment, in Burbank, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ralph Emerson Elementary?
Ralph Emerson Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Ralph Emerson Elementary rank among elementary schools in Burbank?
By Resource Investment Index, Ralph Emerson Elementary ranks #8 of 11 elementary schools in Burbank, 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 Burbank on the city page.
Is Ralph Emerson Elementary a good school?
Ralph Emerson Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% 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 Burbank Unified?
Besides Ralph Emerson Elementary, Burbank Unified also operates Burbank High (2,457 students), Burroughs High (2,283 students), and John Muir Middle (1,353 students). See the Burbank 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.