2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 060220412549 Charter school

River Montessori Elementary Charter — Petaluma, CA

Federal NCES profile for River Montessori Elementary Charter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 14/100.

Compare schools View district
0/100100/10014/100
👥 Class size
9
🌟 Gifted program
30
📋 Attendance
4
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →

The verdict

River Montessori Elementary Charter earns an F Resource Investment Index (14/100), with class sizes near the California median.

F
Resource Index · 14/100
22.8:1
students per teacher
16.1%
free-lunch eligible
144
students enrolled

School address

Petaluma, CA 94954
District: River Montessori Elementary Charter District · California

Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.

Enrollment

144

California · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

6.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

22.8:1

vs 21.6:1 California avg

+6% 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

Slightly above state median
0:135:122.8:1

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula. PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.

What this school's NCES data tells you

River Montessori Elementary Charter reports 144 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 6.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 22.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 6% above the California state mean of 21.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 45% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.

Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 16.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 71% below the California average and 69% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 38.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.

On the finance side, the surrounding River Montessori Elementary Charter District spends $16,797 per pupil district-wide, above the California average of $16,509 and above the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 70.6% from local sources (property taxes), 24.3% from the state, and 5.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 14/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25

How River Montessori Elementary Charter compares

Cross-validating school-level NCES values against California state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.

Metric This school vs California California avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 22.8:1 ▲ 6% 21.6:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 16.1% ▼ 71% 55.5% 51.8%
Enrollment 144 top 14% — —

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

Class size vs. every US school

Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)

23 smaller classes than 8% of 92,598 US schools

0–2: 295 US schools (0%). Below this entry. 2–4: 597 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 4–6: 1,033 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 6–8: 1,939 US schools (2%). Below this entry. 8–10: 4,805 US schools (5%). Below this entry. 10–12: 11,082 US schools (12%). Below this entry. 12–14: 16,971 US schools (18%). Below this entry. 14–16: 18,959 US schools (20%). Below this entry. 16–18: 13,660 US schools (15%). Below this entry. 18–20: 8,300 US schools (9%). Below this entry. 20–22: 5,448 US schools (6%). Below this entry. 22–24: 4,007 US schools (4%). This entry sits in this band. 24–26: 2,663 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 26–28: 1,131 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 28–30: 504 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 30–32: 307 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 32–34: 189 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 34–36: 141 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 36–38: 93 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 38–40: 94 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 40–42: 59 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 42–44: 46 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 44–46: 56 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 46–48: 58 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 48–50: 34 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 50–52: 37 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 52–54: 30 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 54–56: 15 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 56–58: 25 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 58–60: 20 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 60 every US school, by class size, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25

School size vs. every US school

Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')

144 larger than 14% of 95,891 US schools

0–150: 14,035 US schools (15%). This entry sits in this band. 150–300: 16,928 US schools (18%). Above this entry. 300–450: 21,633 US schools (23%). Above this entry. 450–600: 17,006 US schools (18%). Above this entry. 600–750: 10,042 US schools (10%). Above this entry. 750–900: 5,568 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 900–1,050: 3,006 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 1,050–1,200: 1,826 US schools (2%). Above this entry. 1,200–1,350: 1,220 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,350–1,500: 908 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,500–1,650: 692 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,650–1,800: 607 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,800–1,950: 502 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,950–2,100: 432 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,100–2,250: 346 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,250–2,400: 252 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,400–2,550: 203 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,550–2,700: 163 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,700–2,850: 115 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,850–3,000: 85 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 3,000 every US school, by enrollment, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25

What the federal data reveals about equity at this school

Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.

Economic need
16.1%
free-lunch eligible — 71% 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
22.8:1
students per teacher — 6% above state mean
Top 59% in California — lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
38.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$16,797
per pupil, district-wide — above California avg of $16,509
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 + 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.

Overview

Enrollment 144 Top 14% in California — larger than 86% of 10,006 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 6.0
Students per teacher 22.8:1 +6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 16.1% -71% vs state
NCES ID 060220412549

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.

Programs & staff

Counselors (FTE) 0.0

Discipline & special education

Chronically absent 38.2%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 3

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 26.6:1 students per teacher
Loma Vista Immersion Academy
Standard public school
451 students 24.5:1 students per teacher
Sonoma Mountain Elementary
Standard public school
422 students 27.3:1 students per teacher
Corona Creek Elementary
Standard public school
403 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Grant Elementary
Standard public school
386 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Meadow Elementary
Standard public school
384 students 23.6:1 students per teacher

Educator & family resources

In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.

Understanding NCES data

How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.

Choose a school district

Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.

How schools are funded

Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.

Chronic absenteeism

Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.

Magnet vs charter vs traditional

Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.

School discipline data

What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.

Before you act on this record

Treat this page as the federal baseline — then verify locally.

  • Compare River Montessori Elementary Charter side-by-side with another school you're considering on the same NCES measures. Compare schools
  • Read the district context — spending per pupil, staffing, and equity ranking are district-level decisions that shape this school. District profile
  • Confirm current enrollment windows, programs, and boundaries with the school directly — federal data lags the current school year. Choosing guide

Figures are the school's reported federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) — coverage varies by entity type, and PlainSchools does not rate or rank schools.

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 a 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 22.8:1, which is 6% higher than the California average of 21.6:1 and 45% 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%. The school serves a diverse student body in Petaluma, CA.

What is the Resource Investment Index for River Montessori Elementary Charter?

River Montessori Elementary Charter has a Resource Investment Index of 14/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.

Is River Montessori Elementary Charter a good school?

River Montessori Elementary Charter earns an F Resource Investment Index (14/100), with class sizes near the California median. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.

Related tools

Compare schools
Side-by-side comparison tool
Schools in California
All public schools in California
River Montessori Elementary Charter District
All schools in this district
Schools in Petaluma
All schools in this city
School districts
Ranked by enrollment & spending
Rankings
Best schools by state & type

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type — administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) — universe of U.S. public schools and districts. nces.ed.gov/ccd
  • NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) — discipline, absenteeism, and AP-course participation. ocrdata.ed.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey — per-pupil expenditure and revenue sources. nces.ed.gov/ccd/f33agency
  • USDA National School Lunch Program (NSLP) — free and reduced-price lunch eligibility. fns.usda.gov/nslp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS — demographic and socioeconomic context for school catchment areas. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • U.S. Department of Education ESSA Title I — federal Title I program participation. ed.gov