Enrollment
364
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Ridgecrest, CA
Richmond Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Richmond Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063680006241
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Richmond Elementary earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 87% of California schools.
- #2 of 6
- elementary schools in Ridgecrest · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.8:1
- small classes for California
- 42.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Richmond Elementary has class sizes smaller than 87% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Richmond Elementary ranks #2 of 6 elementary schools in Ridgecrest, CA.
School address
District: Sierra Sands Unified · California
NCES ID 063680006241 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Richmond Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Richmond Elementary
Richmond Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Ridgecrest, California, enrolling 364 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 15.8:1, Richmond Elementary is leaner than roughly 87% of California schools and 27% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 42.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 364 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 1,058 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #696.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and Hispanic or Latino (36%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 364 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Ridgecrest's elementary schools, it stands alongside Las Flores Elementary (526 students): Richmond Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.8:1 vs 25:1).
Sierra Sands Unified also operates Burroughs High (1,536 students) and Murray Middle (643 students) alongside Richmond 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 Richmond Elementary compares
Richmond 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 | 15.8:1 | ▼ 27% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.9% | ▼ 23% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 364 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
364
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% 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
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 27% below state mean
Top 13% in California - lower ratio than 87% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
42.9%
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
$14,502
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 364 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.7 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
White 44.0%
Hispanic or Latino 36.3%
African American 9.9%
Two or More 7.1%
Asian 2.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 44.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.9, Richmond Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sierra Sands Unified, which includes Richmond Elementary.
$14,502
Per student
-12%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.0%
State 69.4%
Federal 13.6%
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 Richmond Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burroughs High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Murray Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Las Flores Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Faller Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| James Monroe Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Richmond Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,536
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 643
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 526
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 516
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 490
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar elementary schools in Ridgecrest
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Las Flores Elementary
Standard public school
526 students 25:1 students per teacher
Faller Elementary
Standard public school
516 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
Gateway Elementary
Standard public school
346 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
Pierce Elementary
Standard public school
297 students 19.8:1 students per teacher
Ridgecrest Elem Acad for Language Music and Sci
Standard public school
239 students 26.6:1 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 (~364 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Richmond Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Richmond Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Sierra Sands 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 Richmond Elementary
How many students attend Richmond Elementary?
Richmond Elementary has 364 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Ridgecrest, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Richmond Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Richmond Elementary is 15.8:1, which is 27% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 1% 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 Richmond Elementary?
42.9% of students at Richmond Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Richmond Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Richmond Elementary is White at 44.0% of enrollment, in Ridgecrest, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Richmond Elementary?
Richmond Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (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 Richmond Elementary rank among elementary schools in Ridgecrest?
By Resource Investment Index, Richmond Elementary ranks #2 of 6 elementary schools in Ridgecrest, 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 Ridgecrest on the city page.
Is Richmond Elementary a good school?
Richmond Elementary earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 87% 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 Sierra Sands Unified?
Besides Richmond Elementary, Sierra Sands Unified also operates Burroughs High (1,536 students), Murray Middle (643 students), and Las Flores Elementary (526 students). See the Sierra Sands 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.