Enrollment
365
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Oroville, CA
Sierra Avenue Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sierra Avenue Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 18/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063918006546
👥 S:T ratio 14
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sierra Avenue Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #10 of 15
- elementary schools in Oroville · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.5:1
- students per teacher
- 82.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Sierra Avenue Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sierra Avenue Elementary ranks #10 of 15 elementary schools in Oroville, CA.
School address
District: Thermalito Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 063918006546 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sierra Avenue Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sierra Avenue Elementary
Sierra Avenue Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Oroville, California, enrolling 365 students.
At 21.5:1, 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: 82.9% of students qualify for free meals, 49% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 365 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 1,557 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,257, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (38%) and Asian (23%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 74/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 365 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 59.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Oroville's elementary schools, it stands alongside Helen M. Wilcox Elementary (592 students): Sierra Avenue Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.5:1 vs 24.7:1).
Thermalito Union Elementary also operates Nelson Avenue Middle (456 students) and Plumas Avenue Elementary (322 students) alongside Sierra Avenue 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 Sierra Avenue Elementary compares
Sierra Avenue 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 | 21.5:1 | ▼ 0% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.9% | ▲ 49% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 365 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.5:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
365
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
82.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% 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
21.5:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 48% in California - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
59.2%
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
$16,669
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 365 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.8 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
White 38.4%
Asian 23.3%
Hispanic or Latino 20.8%
Two or More 12.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.2%
African American 1.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 38.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.7, Sierra Avenue Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Thermalito Union Elementary, which includes Sierra Avenue Elementary.
$16,669
Per student
+1%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 12.7%
State 64.1%
Federal 23.2%
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 Sierra Avenue Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson Avenue Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Plumas Avenue Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Poplar Avenue Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Siskiyou Avenue Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Heritage Community Day | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Sierra Avenue Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 456
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 322
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 321
- Students per teacher
- 29.2:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 46
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 8/100
- Enrollment
- 5
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 63/100
Similar elementary schools in Oroville
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Helen M. Wilcox Elementary
Standard public school
592 students 24.7:1 students per teacher
Stream Charter
Standard public school
515 students 30.3:1 students per teacher
Ophir Elementary
Standard public school
452 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Stanford Avenue Elementary
Standard public school
403 students 21.2:1 students per teacher
Plumas Avenue Elementary
Standard public school
322 students 24.8:1 students per teacher
Poplar Avenue Elementary
Standard public school
321 students 29.2:1 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 (~365 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sierra Avenue Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sierra Avenue Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Thermalito 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 Sierra Avenue Elementary
How many students attend Sierra Avenue Elementary?
Sierra Avenue Elementary has 365 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Oroville, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sierra Avenue Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sierra Avenue Elementary is 21.5:1, which is 0% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 37% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sierra Avenue Elementary?
82.9% of students at Sierra Avenue Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sierra Avenue Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sierra Avenue Elementary is White at 38.4% of enrollment, in Oroville, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sierra Avenue Elementary?
Sierra Avenue Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (lower 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 Sierra Avenue Elementary rank among elementary schools in Oroville?
By Resource Investment Index, Sierra Avenue Elementary ranks #10 of 15 elementary schools in Oroville, 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 Oroville on the city page.
Is Sierra Avenue Elementary a good school?
Sierra Avenue Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Thermalito Union Elementary?
Besides Sierra Avenue Elementary, Thermalito Union Elementary also operates Nelson Avenue Middle (456 students), Plumas Avenue Elementary (322 students), and Poplar Avenue Elementary (321 students). See the Thermalito 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.