Enrollment
617
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bakersfield, CA
Shirley Lane Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Shirley Lane Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061329010809
👥 S:T ratio 12
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Shirley Lane Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #22 of 97
- elementary schools in Bakersfield · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22:1
- students per teacher
- 85.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Shirley Lane Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Shirley Lane Elementary ranks #22 of 97 elementary schools in Bakersfield, CA.
School address
District: Fairfax Elementary · California
NCES ID 061329010809 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
85.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
+53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shirley Lane Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Shirley Lane Elementary
Shirley Lane Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Bakersfield, California, enrolling 617 students.
At 22:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 85.1% of students qualify for free meals, 53% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 617 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,777 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #379.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (92% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 16/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 617 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 19.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Bakersfield's elementary schools, it stands alongside Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8 (1,151 students): Shirley Lane Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22:1 vs 25.6:1).
Fairfax Elementary also operates Zephyr Lane Elementary (797 students) and Virginia Avenue Elementary (644 students) alongside Shirley Lane 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 Shirley Lane Elementary compares
Shirley Lane 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 | 22:1 | ▲ 2% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 85.1% | ▲ 53% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 617 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
617
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
85.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 53% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
22:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 53% in California - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
22.0%
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
$16,089
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 617 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 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 91.7%
White 4.4%
Two or More 1.8%
African American 1.5%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 91.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.7, Shirley Lane Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairfax Elementary, which includes Shirley Lane Elementary.
$16,089
Per student
-3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.2%
State 66.9%
Federal 19.0%
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 Shirley Lane Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zephyr Lane Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Virginia Avenue Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fairfax Jr. High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Shirley Lane Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 797
- Students per teacher
- 25.7:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 644
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 609
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar elementary schools in Bakersfield
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8
Standard public school
1,151 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Veterans Elementary
Standard public school
1,002 students 27.8:1 students per teacher
Douglas J. Miller Elementary
Standard public school
994 students 29.2:1 students per teacher
Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary
Standard public school
960 students 24:1 students per teacher
Berkshire Elementary
Standard public school
932 students 28.2:1 students per teacher
Patriot Elementary
Standard public school
931 students 23.3:1 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 (~617 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Shirley Lane Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Shirley Lane Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Fairfax 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 Shirley Lane Elementary
How many students attend Shirley Lane Elementary?
Shirley Lane Elementary has 617 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bakersfield, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shirley Lane Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Shirley Lane Elementary is 22:1, which is 2% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 40% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Shirley Lane Elementary?
85.1% of students at Shirley Lane Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shirley Lane Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Shirley Lane Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 91.7% of enrollment, in Bakersfield, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shirley Lane Elementary?
Shirley Lane Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Shirley Lane Elementary rank among elementary schools in Bakersfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Shirley Lane Elementary ranks #22 of 97 elementary schools in Bakersfield, 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 Bakersfield on the city page.
Is Shirley Lane Elementary a good school?
Shirley Lane Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Fairfax Elementary?
Besides Shirley Lane Elementary, Fairfax Elementary also operates Zephyr Lane Elementary (797 students), Virginia Avenue Elementary (644 students), and Fairfax Jr. High (609 students). See the Fairfax 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.