Enrollment
260
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Eureka, CA
Ridgewood Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Ridgewood Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061038001164
👥 S:T ratio 13
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 66
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ridgewood Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #4 of 11
- elementary schools in Eureka · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.7:1
- students per teacher
- 37.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Ridgewood Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ridgewood Elementary ranks #4 of 11 elementary schools in Eureka, CA.
School address
District: Cutten Elementary · California
NCES ID 061038001164 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ridgewood Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ridgewood Elementary
Ridgewood Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Eureka, California, enrolling 260 students.
At 21.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 37.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 260 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 570 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #181.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 60/100).
13.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Cutten Elementary spends $13,244 per pupil, 20% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Eureka's elementary schools, it stands alongside Washington Elementary (426 students): Ridgewood Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.7:1 vs 22.4:1).
Its district, Cutten Elementary, also runs Cutten Elementary (288 students).
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 Ridgewood Elementary compares
Ridgewood 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 | 21.7:1 | ▲ 1% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.5% | ▼ 32% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 260 | top 78% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.7:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
260
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% 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
21.7:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 50% in California - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
13.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$13,244
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that 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 + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 59.2%
Hispanic or Latino 18.5%
Two or More 13.1%
Asian 5.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.2%
Largest group: White at 59.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.5, Ridgewood Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cutten Elementary, which includes Ridgewood Elementary.
$13,244
Per student
-20%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.6%
State 66.1%
Federal 14.3%
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 Ridgewood Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cutten Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ridgewood Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 288
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar elementary schools in Eureka
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Washington Elementary
Standard public school
426 students 22.4:1 students per teacher
Alice Birney Elementary
Standard public school
375 students 23.4:1 students per teacher
Lafayette Elementary
Standard public school
324 students 32.4:1 students per teacher
Cutten Elementary
Standard public school
288 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Freshwater Elementary
Standard public school
283 students 25.7:1 students per teacher
Grant Elementary
Standard public school
278 students 25.3:1 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 (~260 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ridgewood Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Ridgewood Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Cutten 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 Ridgewood Elementary
How many students attend Ridgewood Elementary?
Ridgewood Elementary has 260 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Eureka, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ridgewood Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ridgewood Elementary is 21.7:1, which is 1% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 38% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ridgewood Elementary?
37.5% of students at Ridgewood Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ridgewood Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ridgewood Elementary is White at 59.2% of enrollment, in Eureka, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ridgewood Elementary?
Ridgewood Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Ridgewood Elementary rank among elementary schools in Eureka?
By Resource Investment Index, Ridgewood Elementary ranks #4 of 11 elementary schools in Eureka, 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 Eureka on the city page.
Is Ridgewood Elementary a good school?
Ridgewood Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Cutten Elementary?
Besides Ridgewood Elementary, Cutten Elementary also operates Cutten Elementary (288 students). See the Cutten 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.