Enrollment
536
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Modesto, CA
Sonoma Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sonoma Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062513003751
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sonoma Elementary earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of California schools.
- #24 of 53
- elementary schools in Modesto · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.5:1
- large classes for California
- 54.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Sonoma Elementary has class sizes larger than 82% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sonoma Elementary ranks #24 of 53 elementary schools in Modesto, CA.
School address
District: Modesto City Elementary · California
NCES ID 062513003751 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sonoma Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sonoma Elementary
Sonoma Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Modesto, California, enrolling 536 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.5:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 54.2% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 536 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,652 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #990.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (54%) and White (25%) (diversity index 62/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Modesto's elementary schools, it stands alongside Great Valley Academy (972 students): Sonoma Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (25.5:1 vs 27.8:1).
Modesto City Elementary also operates Bret Harte Elementary (867 students) and Roosevelt Junior High (818 students) alongside Sonoma 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 Sonoma Elementary compares
Sonoma 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 | 25.5:1 | ▲ 19% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.2% | ▼ 2% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 536 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.5:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
536
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
25.5:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 82% in California - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
41.2%
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.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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 54.3%
White 25.4%
Two or More 9.5%
Asian 8.4%
African American 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 54.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.4, Sonoma Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
How Sonoma Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bret Harte Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt Junior High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fairview Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Franklin Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| La Loma Junior High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sonoma Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 867
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 818
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 786
- Students per teacher
- 27.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 777
- Students per teacher
- 25.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 705
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
Similar elementary schools in Modesto
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Great Valley Academy
Standard public school
972 students 27.8:1 students per teacher
Great Valley Academy - Salida
Standard public school
927 students 27.3:1 students per teacher
Bret Harte Elementary
Standard public school
867 students 23.4:1 students per teacher
Fairview Elementary
Standard public school
786 students 27.1:1 students per teacher
Franklin Elementary
Standard public school
777 students 25.1:1 students per teacher
Freedom Elementary
Standard public school
713 students 25.5:1 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 (~536 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sonoma Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sonoma Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Modesto City 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 Sonoma Elementary
How many students attend Sonoma Elementary?
Sonoma Elementary has 536 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Modesto, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sonoma Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sonoma Elementary is 25.5:1, which is 19% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 62% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sonoma Elementary?
54.2% of students at Sonoma Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sonoma Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sonoma Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 54.3% of enrollment, in Modesto, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sonoma Elementary?
Sonoma Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (lower 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 Sonoma Elementary rank among elementary schools in Modesto?
By Resource Investment Index, Sonoma Elementary ranks #24 of 53 elementary schools in Modesto, 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 Modesto on the city page.
Is Sonoma Elementary a good school?
Sonoma Elementary earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% 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 Modesto City Elementary?
Besides Sonoma Elementary, Modesto City Elementary also operates Bret Harte Elementary (867 students), Roosevelt Junior High (818 students), and Fairview Elementary (786 students). See the Modesto City 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.