Enrollment
144
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Petaluma, CA
River Montessori Elementary Charter
Federal NCES profile for River Montessori Elementary Charter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 13/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060220412549Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 4
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
River Montessori Elementary Charter earns 13/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of California schools.
- #25 of 25
- elementary schools in Petaluma · Resource Index
- 13
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24:1
- large classes for California
- 16.1%
- free-lunch eligible
River Montessori Elementary Charter has class sizes larger than 71% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, River Montessori Elementary Charter ranks #25 of 25 elementary schools in Petaluma, CA.
School address
NCES ID 060220412549 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
6.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
16.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
-71% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How River Montessori Elementary Charter compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at River Montessori Elementary Charter
Small campus without a staffing-size advantage
River Montessori Elementary Charter enrolls fewer students than most California schools, yet its student-teacher ratio is still on the heavier side of the state distribution. Small enrollment therefore does not translate into more teacher capacity per student here. That makes staffing capacity, rather than campus scale alone, the useful interpretation. The counselor, attendance, and program indicators below help show whether the pressure is narrow or part of a broader resource constraint.
Lower measured need does not translate into broad resources
River Montessori Elementary Charter's free-meal eligibility sits below much of the California distribution, yet its Resource Investment Index also lands in the lower tier. That breaks the common assumption that a lower-need intake automatically produces stronger reported capacity. The component scores below are therefore more useful than a socioeconomic shortcut: staffing, counselors, gifted access, and attendance determine where the composite is being lost.
Attendance is the dominant support signal
River Montessori Elementary Charter's 38.2% chronic-absence rate is more consequential than a generic staffing label: at least one quarter of students missed 10% or more of school days in the 2021-22 collection. That level can affect instruction, counseling demand, and continuity even when other reported resources look ordinary. The dataset records the scale of absence but not its causes, so it should prompt a current-year question rather than a conclusion about school management.
River Montessori Elementary Charter is a lower-poverty, small charter elementary school in Petaluma, California, enrolling 144 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 16.1% free-meal eligibility runs 71% below the California average.
Enrollment of 144 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 92 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #86, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (56%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 61/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Petaluma's elementary schools, it stands alongside Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley (494 students): River Montessori Elementary Charter is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24:1 vs 29.1:1).
River Montessori Elementary Charter District is a single-school charter district, so River Montessori Elementary Charter operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 River Montessori Elementary Charter compares
River Montessori Elementary Charter on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 24:1 | ▲ 12% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 16.1% | ▼ 71% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 144 | top 86% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
144
Bigger than 14% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
16.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 71% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
24:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 71% in California - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
38.2%
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
$16,797
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
White 56.3%
Hispanic or Latino 20.1%
Two or More 16.0%
Asian 5.6%
African American 2.1%
Largest group: White at 56.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.3, River Montessori Elementary Charter is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for River Montessori Elementary Charter District, which includes River Montessori Elementary Charter.
$16,797
Per student
+2%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 70.6%
State 24.3%
Federal 5.1%
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.
Similar elementary schools in Petaluma
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley
Standard public school
494 students 29.1:1 students per teacher
Loma Vista Immersion Academy
Standard public school
451 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Sonoma Mountain Elementary
Standard public school
422 students 26.4:1 students per teacher
Corona Creek Elementary
Standard public school
403 students 22.4:1 students per teacher
Grant Elementary
Standard public school
386 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Meadow Elementary
Standard public school
384 students 24:1 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 (~144 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on River Montessori Elementary Charter's federal record.
- Compare River Montessori Elementary Charter against another school. Compare schools
- River Montessori Elementary Charter District'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 River Montessori Elementary Charter
How many students attend River Montessori Elementary Charter?
River Montessori Elementary Charter has 144 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Petaluma, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at River Montessori Elementary Charter?
The student-teacher ratio at River Montessori Elementary Charter is 24:1, which is 12% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 53% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at River Montessori Elementary Charter?
16.1% of students at River Montessori Elementary Charter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of River Montessori Elementary Charter?
The largest demographic group at River Montessori Elementary Charter is White at 56.3% of enrollment, in Petaluma, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for River Montessori Elementary Charter?
River Montessori Elementary Charter has a Resource Investment Index of 13/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does River Montessori Elementary Charter rank among elementary schools in Petaluma?
By Resource Investment Index, River Montessori Elementary Charter ranks #25 of 25 elementary schools in Petaluma, 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 Petaluma on the city page.
What other schools are in River Montessori Elementary Charter District?
None; River Montessori Elementary Charter District is a single-school charter district, and River Montessori Elementary Charter is its only campus.
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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 July 2026.