Enrollment
562
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bell Gardens, CA
Suva Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Suva Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062547003809
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 2
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Suva Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #3 of 4
- elementary schools in Bell Gardens · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.6:1
- small classes for California
- 73.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Suva Elementary has class sizes smaller than 81% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Suva Elementary ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Bell Gardens, CA.
School address
District: Montebello Unified · California
NCES ID 062547003809 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
+33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Suva Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Suva Elementary
Suva Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Bell Gardens, California, enrolling 562 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 17.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 73.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 562 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 2,168 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #458.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (98% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 3/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 375 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Montebello Unified spends $20,966 per pupil, 27% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 24.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Bell Gardens's elementary schools, it stands alongside Cesar E. Chavez Elementary (702 students): Suva Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.6:1 vs 18.5:1).
Montebello Unified also operates Schurr High (2,121 students) and Bell Gardens High (2,046 students) alongside Suva 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 Suva Elementary compares
Suva 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 | 17.6:1 | ▼ 18% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.6% | ▲ 33% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 562 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.6:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
562
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
73.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% 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
17.6:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 19% in California - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
39.3%
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
$20,966
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 375 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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
Hispanic or Latino 98.4%
White 1.2%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 98.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 3.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 3.2, Suva Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Montebello Unified, which includes Suva Elementary.
$20,966
Per student
+27%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.8%
State 57.9%
Federal 24.4%
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 Suva Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schurr High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bell Gardens High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Montebello High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bell Gardens Intermediate | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Greenwood Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Suva Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,121
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,046
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,907
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 790
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 746
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar elementary schools in Bell Gardens
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~562 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Suva Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Suva Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Montebello 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 Suva Elementary
How many students attend Suva Elementary?
Suva Elementary has 562 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bell Gardens, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Suva Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Suva Elementary is 17.6:1, which is 18% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 12% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Suva Elementary?
73.6% of students at Suva Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Suva Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Suva Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 98.4% of enrollment, in Bell Gardens, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Suva Elementary?
Suva Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Suva Elementary rank among elementary schools in Bell Gardens?
By Resource Investment Index, Suva Elementary ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Bell Gardens, 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 Bell Gardens on the city page.
Is Suva Elementary a good school?
Suva Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of California schools. It is also less 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 Montebello Unified?
Besides Suva Elementary, Montebello Unified also operates Schurr High (2,121 students), Bell Gardens High (2,046 students), and Montebello High (1,907 students). See the Montebello 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.