Enrollment
652
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Sierra Madre, CA
Sierra Madre Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sierra Madre Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062994004687
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sierra Madre Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 27.2:1
- large classes for California
- 22.9%
- free-lunch eligible
- 652
- students enrolled
Sierra Madre Elementary has class sizes larger than 90% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Pasadena Unified · California
NCES ID 062994004687 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sierra Madre Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sierra Madre Elementary
Sierra Madre Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Sierra Madre, California, enrolling 652 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.2:1 is larger than about 90% of California schools and 27% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 22.9% free-meal eligibility runs 59% below the California average.
Enrollment of 652 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 94% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 1,345 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #24, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (45%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Pasadena Unified also operates Marshall Fundamental (1,689 students) and Pasadena High (1,303 students) alongside Sierra Madre 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 Madre Elementary compares
Sierra Madre 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 | 27.2:1 | ▲ 27% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.9% | ▼ 59% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 652 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.2:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
652
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
27.2:1
students per teacher
- 27% above state mean
Top 90% in California - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
5.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$17,889
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 + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 44.6%
Hispanic or Latino 23.9%
Two or More 18.7%
Asian 10.7%
African American 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 44.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.7, Sierra Madre Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pasadena Unified, which includes Sierra Madre Elementary.
$17,889
Per student
+8%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.4%
State 40.3%
Federal 14.3%
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 Sierra Madre Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall Fundamental | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pasadena High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John Muir High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Blair High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jackson Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sierra Madre Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,689
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,303
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,206
- Students per teacher
- 25.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,053
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 658
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~652 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~27.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sierra Madre Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sierra Madre Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Pasadena Unified'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 Madre Elementary
How many students attend Sierra Madre Elementary?
Sierra Madre Elementary has 652 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Sierra Madre, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sierra Madre Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sierra Madre Elementary is 27.2:1, which is 27% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 73% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sierra Madre Elementary?
22.9% of students at Sierra Madre Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sierra Madre Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sierra Madre Elementary is White at 44.6% of enrollment, in Sierra Madre, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sierra Madre Elementary?
Sierra Madre Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher 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).
Is Sierra Madre Elementary a good school?
Sierra Madre Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of California schools. 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 Pasadena Unified?
Besides Sierra Madre Elementary, Pasadena Unified also operates Marshall Fundamental (1,689 students), Pasadena High (1,303 students), and John Muir High (1,206 students). See the Pasadena Unified 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.