Enrollment
365
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Madera, CA
Sierra View Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sierra View Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060006811682
👥 S:T ratio 3
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 79
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sierra View Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of California schools.
- #3 of 24
- elementary schools in Madera · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.3:1
- large classes for California
- 36.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Sierra View Elementary has class sizes larger than 74% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sierra View Elementary ranks #3 of 24 elementary schools in Madera, CA.
School address
District: Golden Valley Unified · California
NCES ID 060006811682 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sierra View Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sierra View Elementary
Sierra View Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Madera, California, enrolling 365 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.3:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 36.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 365 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 994 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #245.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (46%) and White (45%) (diversity index 59/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Golden Valley Unified spends $12,451 per pupil, 25% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Madera's elementary schools, it stands alongside Lincoln Elementary (816 students): Sierra View Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.3:1 vs 22.7:1).
Golden Valley Unified also operates Liberty High (748 students) and Stone Creek Elementary (672 students) alongside Sierra View 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 View Elementary compares
Sierra View 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 | 24.3:1 | ▲ 13% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.0% | ▼ 35% | 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
24.3:1
Leaner classes than 6% 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
36.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% 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
24.3:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 74% in California - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
8.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$12,451
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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 45.5%
White 45.2%
Asian 4.1%
Two or More 3.6%
African American 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 45.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.6, Sierra View Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Golden Valley Unified, which includes Sierra View Elementary.
$12,451
Per student
-25%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.5%
State 49.2%
Federal 8.4%
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 View Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Stone Creek Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Webster Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ranchos Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Freedom Home | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sierra View Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 748
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 672
- Students per teacher
- 42:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 634
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 452
- Students per teacher
- 30.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 53
- Students per teacher
- 53:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
Similar elementary schools in Madera
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Lincoln Elementary
Standard public school
816 students 22.7:1 students per teacher
John J. Pershing Elementary
Standard public school
788 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
Sierra Vista Elementary
Standard public school
740 students 21.1:1 students per teacher
James Madison Elementary
Standard public school
739 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
John Adams Elementary
Standard public school
736 students 23.7:1 students per teacher
Alpha Elementary
Standard public school
735 students 25.3:1 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 (~365 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sierra View Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sierra View Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Golden Valley 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 View Elementary
How many students attend Sierra View Elementary?
Sierra View Elementary has 365 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Madera, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sierra View Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sierra View Elementary is 24.3:1, which is 13% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 55% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sierra View Elementary?
36.0% of students at Sierra View Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sierra View Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sierra View Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 45.5% of enrollment, in Madera, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sierra View Elementary?
Sierra View Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Sierra View Elementary rank among elementary schools in Madera?
By Resource Investment Index, Sierra View Elementary ranks #3 of 24 elementary schools in Madera, 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 Madera on the city page.
Is Sierra View Elementary a good school?
Sierra View Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% 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 Golden Valley Unified?
Besides Sierra View Elementary, Golden Valley Unified also operates Liberty High (748 students), Stone Creek Elementary (672 students), and Webster Elementary (634 students). See the Golden Valley 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.