Enrollment
357
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Redwood City, CA
Taft Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Taft Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063213004974
👥 S:T ratio 11
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Taft Elementary earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #11 of 13
- elementary schools in Redwood City · Resource Index
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.3:1
- students per teacher
- 77.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Taft Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Taft Elementary ranks #11 of 13 elementary schools in Redwood City, CA.
School address
District: Redwood City Elementary · California
NCES ID 063213004974 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Taft Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Taft Elementary
Taft Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Redwood City, California, enrolling 357 students.
At 22.3:1, 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 77.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 357 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,644 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,401, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (94% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 11/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Redwood City's elementary schools, it stands alongside Kipp Excelencia Community Preparatory (711 students): Taft Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (22.3:1 vs 21.5:1).
Redwood City Elementary also operates John F. Kennedy Middle (808 students) and Clifford Elementary (698 students) alongside Taft 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 Taft Elementary compares
Taft 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 | 22.3:1 | ▲ 4% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.7% | ▲ 40% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 357 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.3:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
357
Bigger than 41% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% 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
22.3:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 56% in California - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
38.4%
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
$19,381
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
1
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 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 94.4%
Asian 1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.7%
White 1.4%
Two or More 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 94.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 10.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 10.8, Taft Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Redwood City Elementary, which includes Taft Elementary.
$19,381
Per student
+17%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 68.1%
State 22.6%
Federal 9.3%
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 Taft Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John F. Kennedy Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Clifford Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hoover Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Roy Cloud Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Adelante Selby Spanish Immersion | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Taft Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 808
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 698
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 675
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 636
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 582
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
Similar elementary schools in Redwood City
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Kipp Excelencia Community Preparatory
Standard public school
711 students 21.5:1 students per teacher
Clifford Elementary
Standard public school
698 students 23.3:1 students per teacher
Hoover Elementary
Standard public school
675 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Roy Cloud Elementary
Standard public school
636 students 21.9:1 students per teacher
Sandpiper Elementary
Standard public school
534 students 24.3:1 students per teacher
North Star Academy
Standard public school
527 students 27.7:1 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 (~357 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Taft Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Taft Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Redwood 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 Taft Elementary
How many students attend Taft Elementary?
Taft Elementary has 357 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Redwood City, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Taft Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Taft Elementary is 22.3:1, which is 4% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 42% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Taft Elementary?
77.7% of students at Taft Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Taft Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Taft Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 94.4% of enrollment, in Redwood City, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Taft Elementary?
Taft Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (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 Taft Elementary rank among elementary schools in Redwood City?
By Resource Investment Index, Taft Elementary ranks #11 of 13 elementary schools in Redwood City, 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 Redwood City on the city page.
Is Taft Elementary a good school?
Taft Elementary earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Redwood City Elementary?
Besides Taft Elementary, Redwood City Elementary also operates John F. Kennedy Middle (808 students), Clifford Elementary (698 students), and Hoover Elementary (675 students). See the Redwood 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.