Enrollment
216
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Oakland, CA
Sankofa United Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sankofa United Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062805011558
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sankofa United Elementary earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 88% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #24 of 67
- elementary schools in Oakland · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.4:1
- small classes for California
- 55.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Sankofa United Elementary has class sizes smaller than 88% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sankofa United Elementary ranks #24 of 67 elementary schools in Oakland, CA.
School address
District: Oakland Unified · California
NCES ID 062805011558 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
+0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sankofa United Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sankofa United Elementary
Sankofa United Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Oakland, California, enrolling 216 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 15.4:1, Sankofa United Elementary is leaner than roughly 88% of California schools and 28% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 55.6% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 216 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.
Among 555 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #425, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (43%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 49.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Oakland Unified spends $20,552 per pupil, 24% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Oakland's elementary schools, it stands alongside Yu Ming Charter (959 students): Sankofa United Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.4:1 vs 24:1).
Oakland Unified also operates Oakland Technical High (1,812 students) and Oakland High (1,579 students) alongside Sankofa United 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 Sankofa United Elementary compares
Sankofa United 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 | 15.4:1 | ▼ 28% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.6% | ▲ 0% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 216 | top 82% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
216
Bigger than 21% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 0% 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
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 28% below state mean
Top 12% in California - lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
49.1%
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
$20,552
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially 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 + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
African American 42.5%
Hispanic or Latino 21.0%
White 16.8%
Two or More 14.0%
Asian 5.6%
Largest group: African American at 42.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.4, Sankofa United Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Oakland Unified, which includes Sankofa United Elementary.
$20,552
Per student
+24%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.8%
State 42.5%
Federal 14.7%
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 Sankofa United Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland Technical High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oakland High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Skyline High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fremont High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Coliseum College Prep Academy | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sankofa United Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,812
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,579
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,250
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,166
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 861
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar elementary schools in Oakland
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Yu Ming Charter
Standard public school
959 students 24:1 students per teacher
Melrose Leadership Academy
Standard public school
722 students 21.9:1 students per teacher
Lockwood Steam Academy Elementary
Standard public school
678 students 27.1:1 students per teacher
Lincoln Elementary
Standard public school
664 students 25.5:1 students per teacher
American Indian Public Charter School Ii
Standard public school
617 students 36.3:1 students per teacher
Greenleaf
Standard public school
613 students 21.9:1 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 (~216 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sankofa United Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sankofa United Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Oakland 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 Sankofa United Elementary
How many students attend Sankofa United Elementary?
Sankofa United Elementary has 216 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Oakland, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sankofa United Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sankofa United Elementary is 15.4:1, which is 28% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 2% lower 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 Sankofa United Elementary?
55.6% of students at Sankofa United Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sankofa United Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sankofa United Elementary is African American at 42.5% of enrollment, in Oakland, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sankofa United Elementary?
Sankofa United Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (lower 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 Sankofa United Elementary rank among elementary schools in Oakland?
By Resource Investment Index, Sankofa United Elementary ranks #24 of 67 elementary schools in Oakland, 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 Oakland on the city page.
Is Sankofa United Elementary a good school?
Sankofa United Elementary earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 88% of California schools. It is also more 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 Oakland Unified?
Besides Sankofa United Elementary, Oakland Unified also operates Oakland Technical High (1,812 students), Oakland High (1,579 students), and Skyline High (1,250 students). See the Oakland 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.