Enrollment
402
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Placerville, CA
Sierra Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sierra Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063078004787
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 24
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sierra Elementary earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of California schools.
- #2 of 7
- elementary schools in Placerville · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.1:1
- large classes for California
- 36.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Sierra Elementary has class sizes larger than 80% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sierra Elementary ranks #2 of 7 elementary schools in Placerville, CA.
School address
District: Placerville Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 063078004787 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sierra Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sierra Elementary
Sierra Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Placerville, California, enrolling 402 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.1:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 36.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 402 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 1,145 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #653.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 402 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Placerville's elementary schools, it stands alongside Indian Creek Elementary (392 students): Sierra Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.1:1 vs 17.8:1).
Placerville Union Elementary also operates Edwin Markham Middle (431 students) and Louisiana Schnell Elementary (370 students) alongside Sierra 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 Elementary compares
Sierra 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 | 25.1:1 | ▲ 17% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.4% | ▼ 34% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 402 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.1:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
402
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
25.1:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 80% in California - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
30.3%
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
$13,856
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 402 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.0 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
White 64.7%
Hispanic or Latino 24.4%
Two or More 9.5%
African American 0.5%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 64.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.3, Sierra Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Placerville Union Elementary, which includes Sierra Elementary.
$13,856
Per student
-16%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.1%
State 56.5%
Federal 9.4%
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 Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edwin Markham Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Louisiana Schnell Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sierra Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 431
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 370
- Students per teacher
- 24.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar elementary schools in Placerville
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Indian Creek Elementary
Standard public school
392 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Louisiana Schnell Elementary
Standard public school
370 students 24.7:1 students per teacher
Herbert C. Green Middle
Standard public school
363 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Gold Trail
Standard public school
274 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Gold Oak Elementary
Standard public school
270 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Sutters Mill
Standard public school
201 students 20.1:1 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 (~402 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sierra Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sierra Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Placerville 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 Elementary
How many students attend Sierra Elementary?
Sierra Elementary has 402 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Placerville, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sierra Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sierra Elementary is 25.1:1, which is 17% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 60% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sierra Elementary?
36.4% of students at Sierra Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sierra Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sierra Elementary is White at 64.7% of enrollment, in Placerville, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sierra Elementary?
Sierra Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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 Elementary rank among elementary schools in Placerville?
By Resource Investment Index, Sierra Elementary ranks #2 of 7 elementary schools in Placerville, 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 Placerville on the city page.
Is Sierra Elementary a good school?
Sierra Elementary earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% 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 Placerville Union Elementary?
Besides Sierra Elementary, Placerville Union Elementary also operates Edwin Markham Middle (431 students) and Louisiana Schnell Elementary (370 students). See the Placerville 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.