Enrollment
217
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Chowchilla, CA
Stephens Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Stephens Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060852000850
👥 S:T ratio 13
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 78
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Stephens Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #2 of 6
- elementary schools in Chowchilla · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.7:1
- students per teacher
- 74.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Stephens Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Stephens Elementary ranks #2 of 6 elementary schools in Chowchilla, CA.
School address
District: Chowchilla Elementary · California
NCES ID 060852000850 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Stephens Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Stephens Elementary
Stephens Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Chowchilla, California, enrolling 217 students.
At 21.7:1, 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 runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 74.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 217 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 633 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #216.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (76%) and White (21%) (diversity index 38/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 109 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Chowchilla's elementary schools, it stands alongside Merle L. Fuller Elementary (508 students): Stephens Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.7:1 vs 20.3:1).
Chowchilla Elementary also operates Merle L. Fuller Elementary (508 students) and Ronald Reagan Elementary (490 students) alongside Stephens 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 Stephens Elementary compares
Stephens 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 | 21.7:1 | ▲ 1% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.5% | ▲ 34% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 217 | top 82% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.7:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
217
Bigger than 21% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.7:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 50% in California - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
31.3%
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
$14,144
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 109 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 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 75.6%
White 21.2%
Two or More 2.8%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 75.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.3, Stephens Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chowchilla Elementary, which includes Stephens Elementary.
$14,144
Per student
-14%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.1%
State 69.4%
Federal 11.4%
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 Stephens Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merle L. Fuller Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ronald Reagan Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wilson Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fairmead Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Stephens Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 508
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 490
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 470
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 458
- Students per teacher
- 25.4:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
Similar elementary schools in Chowchilla
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Merle L. Fuller Elementary
Standard public school
508 students 20.3:1 students per teacher
Ronald Reagan Elementary
Standard public school
490 students 25.8:1 students per teacher
Fairmead Elementary
Standard public school
458 students 25.4:1 students per teacher
Dairyland Elementary
Standard public school
216 students 21.6:1 students per teacher
Alview Elementary
Standard public school
183 students 26.1:1 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 (~217 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Stephens Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Stephens Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Chowchilla 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 Stephens Elementary
How many students attend Stephens Elementary?
Stephens Elementary has 217 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Chowchilla, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Stephens Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Stephens Elementary is 21.7:1, which is 1% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 38% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Stephens Elementary?
74.5% of students at Stephens Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Stephens Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Stephens Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 75.6% of enrollment, in Chowchilla, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Stephens Elementary?
Stephens Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical 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 Stephens Elementary rank among elementary schools in Chowchilla?
By Resource Investment Index, Stephens Elementary ranks #2 of 6 elementary schools in Chowchilla, 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 Chowchilla on the city page.
Is Stephens Elementary a good school?
Stephens Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Chowchilla Elementary?
Besides Stephens Elementary, Chowchilla Elementary also operates Merle L. Fuller Elementary (508 students), Ronald Reagan Elementary (490 students), and Wilson Middle (470 students). See the Chowchilla 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.