Enrollment
534
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Shafter, CA
Sequoia Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sequoia Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062145010810
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sequoia Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #3 of 5
- elementary schools in Shafter · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.7:1
- small classes for California
- 79.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Sequoia Elementary has class sizes smaller than 85% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sequoia Elementary ranks #3 of 5 elementary schools in Shafter, CA.
School address
District: Richland Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 062145010810 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
79.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
+43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sequoia Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sequoia Elementary
Sequoia Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Shafter, California, enrolling 534 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 16.7:1, Sequoia Elementary is leaner than roughly 85% of California schools and 22% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 79.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 534 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 2,173 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #332.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (89% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 20/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 72.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Shafter's elementary schools, it stands alongside Golden Oak Elementary (717 students): Sequoia Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.7:1 vs 19.9:1).
Richland Union Elementary also operates Golden Oak Elementary (717 students) and Redwood Elementary (601 students) alongside Sequoia 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 Sequoia Elementary compares
Sequoia 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 | 16.7:1 | ▼ 22% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 79.5% | ▲ 43% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 534 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.7:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
534
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
79.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% 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
16.7:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 15% in California - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
72.3%
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
$17,728
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat 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 + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.2 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
Hispanic or Latino 88.8%
White 7.7%
Asian 3.2%
African American 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 88.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.4, Sequoia Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Richland Union Elementary, which includes Sequoia Elementary.
$17,728
Per student
+7%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.5%
State 63.9%
Federal 18.6%
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 Sequoia Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Oak Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Redwood Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Richland Junior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sequoia Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 717
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 601
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 558
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar elementary schools in Shafter
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Golden Oak Elementary
Standard public school
717 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Redwood Elementary
Standard public school
601 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Maple Elementary
Standard public school
287 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Grow Academy Shafter
Standard public school
80 students 2.6:1 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 (~534 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sequoia Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sequoia Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Richland Union 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 Sequoia Elementary
How many students attend Sequoia Elementary?
Sequoia Elementary has 534 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Shafter, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sequoia Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sequoia Elementary is 16.7:1, which is 22% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 6% 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 Sequoia Elementary?
79.5% of students at Sequoia Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sequoia Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sequoia Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 88.8% of enrollment, in Shafter, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sequoia Elementary?
Sequoia Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Sequoia Elementary rank among elementary schools in Shafter?
By Resource Investment Index, Sequoia Elementary ranks #3 of 5 elementary schools in Shafter, 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 Shafter on the city page.
Is Sequoia Elementary a good school?
Sequoia Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of California schools. It is also less 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 Richland Union Elementary?
Besides Sequoia Elementary, Richland Union Elementary also operates Golden Oak Elementary (717 students), Redwood Elementary (601 students), and Richland Junior High (558 students). See the Richland Union 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.