Enrollment
405
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Atwater, CA
Shaffer Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Shaffer Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060342000261
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Shaffer Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of California schools.
- #4 of 7
- elementary schools in Atwater · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.6:1
- small classes for California
- 74.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Shaffer Elementary has class sizes smaller than 81% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Shaffer Elementary ranks #4 of 7 elementary schools in Atwater, CA.
School address
District: Atwater Elementary · California
NCES ID 060342000261 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
+33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shaffer Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Shaffer Elementary
Shaffer Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Atwater, California, enrolling 405 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 17.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 74.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 405 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 1,916 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #439.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (80% of enrollment) (diversity index 34/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Atwater's elementary schools, it stands alongside Peggy Heller Elementary (712 students): Shaffer Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.6:1 vs 23:1).
Atwater Elementary also operates Mitchell Intermediate (744 students) and Peggy Heller Elementary (712 students) alongside Shaffer 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 Shaffer Elementary compares
Shaffer 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 | 17.6:1 | ▼ 18% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.0% | ▲ 33% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 405 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.6:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
405
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% 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
17.6:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 19% in California - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
48.4%
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
$13,844
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints 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: 0.5 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 80.0%
White 11.9%
Asian 5.2%
African American 1.2%
Two or More 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 80.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.3, Shaffer Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Atwater Elementary, which includes Shaffer Elementary.
$13,844
Per student
-16%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 8.6%
State 79.1%
Federal 12.3%
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 Shaffer Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell Intermediate | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Peggy Heller Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bellevue Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mitchell Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Elmer Wood Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Shaffer Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 744
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 712
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 599
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 528
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 514
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar elementary schools in Atwater
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Peggy Heller Elementary
Standard public school
712 students 23:1 students per teacher
Bellevue Elementary
Standard public school
599 students 21.4:1 students per teacher
Mitchell Elementary
Standard public school
528 students 24:1 students per teacher
Elmer Wood Elementary
Standard public school
514 students 22.3:1 students per teacher
Thomas Olaeta Elementary
Standard public school
374 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Aileen Colburn Elementary
Standard public school
371 students 19.5:1 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 (~405 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Shaffer Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Shaffer Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Atwater 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 Shaffer Elementary
How many students attend Shaffer Elementary?
Shaffer Elementary has 405 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Atwater, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shaffer Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Shaffer Elementary is 17.6:1, which is 18% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 12% 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 Shaffer Elementary?
74.0% of students at Shaffer Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shaffer Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Shaffer Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 80.0% of enrollment, in Atwater, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shaffer Elementary?
Shaffer Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Shaffer Elementary rank among elementary schools in Atwater?
By Resource Investment Index, Shaffer Elementary ranks #4 of 7 elementary schools in Atwater, 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 Atwater on the city page.
Is Shaffer Elementary a good school?
Shaffer Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of 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 Atwater Elementary?
Besides Shaffer Elementary, Atwater Elementary also operates Mitchell Intermediate (744 students), Peggy Heller Elementary (712 students), and Bellevue Elementary (599 students). See the Atwater 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.