Enrollment
601
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Shafter, CA
Redwood Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Redwood Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062145009564
👥 S:T ratio 27
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Redwood Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #4 of 5
- elementary schools in Shafter · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.2:1
- small classes for California
- 78.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Redwood Elementary has class sizes smaller than 78% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Redwood Elementary ranks #4 of 5 elementary schools in Shafter, CA.
School address
District: Richland Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 062145009564 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Redwood Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Redwood Elementary
Redwood Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Shafter, California, enrolling 601 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 78.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 601 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 2,139 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #441.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 10/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 61.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Shafter's elementary schools, it stands alongside Golden Oak Elementary (717 students): Redwood Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.2:1 vs 19.9:1).
Richland Union Elementary also operates Golden Oak Elementary (717 students) and Richland Junior High (558 students) alongside Redwood 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 Redwood Elementary compares
Redwood 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 | 18.2:1 | ▼ 15% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.3% | ▲ 41% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 601 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.2:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
601
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.3%
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
18.2:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 22% in California - lower ratio than 78% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
61.6%
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
$17,728
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.7 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 94.7%
White 3.3%
Asian 1.2%
African American 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 94.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 10.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 10.2, Redwood Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Richland Union Elementary, which includes Redwood Elementary.
$17,728
Per student
+7%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.5%
State 63.9%
Federal 18.6%
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 Redwood Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Oak Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Richland Junior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sequoia Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Redwood Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 717
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 558
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 534
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Shafter
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Golden Oak Elementary
Standard public school
717 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Sequoia Elementary
Standard public school
534 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Maple Elementary
Standard public school
287 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Grow Academy Shafter
Standard public school
80 students 2.6:1 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 (~601 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Redwood Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Redwood Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Richland 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 Redwood Elementary
How many students attend Redwood Elementary?
Redwood Elementary has 601 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Shafter, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Redwood Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Redwood Elementary is 18.2:1, which is 15% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 16% 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 Redwood Elementary?
78.3% of students at Redwood Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Redwood Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Redwood Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 94.7% of enrollment, in Shafter, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Redwood Elementary?
Redwood Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Redwood Elementary rank among elementary schools in Shafter?
By Resource Investment Index, Redwood Elementary ranks #4 of 5 elementary schools in Shafter, 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 Shafter on the city page.
Is Redwood Elementary a good school?
Redwood Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% 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 Richland Union Elementary?
Besides Redwood Elementary, Richland Union Elementary also operates Golden Oak Elementary (717 students), Richland Junior High (558 students), and Sequoia Elementary (534 students). See the Richland 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.