Enrollment
917
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Santa Maria, CA
Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060558009318
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 12
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #13 of 24
- elementary schools in Santa Maria · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.5:1
- large classes for California
- 69.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary has class sizes larger than 82% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary ranks #13 of 24 elementary schools in Santa Maria, CA.
School address
District: Santa Maria-Bonita · California
NCES ID 060558009318 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary
Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary is a higher-need, large elementary school in Santa Maria, California, enrolling 917 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.5:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 69.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 917 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,224 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #462.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (89% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 20/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Santa Maria's elementary schools, it stands alongside Jimenez Roberto and Dr. Francisco Elementary (1,177 students): Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (25.5:1 vs 29.4:1).
Santa Maria-Bonita also operates Jimenez Roberto and Dr. Francisco Elementary (1,177 students) and Bruce (Robert) Elementary (1,050 students) alongside Tunnell (Martin Luther) 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 Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary compares
Tunnell (Martin Luther) 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 | 69.7% | ▲ 26% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 917 | top 13% | - | - |
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.
917
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
69.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
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
35.2%
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.
Funding equity
$14,410
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 8 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 89.3%
White 6.1%
Asian 2.0%
Two or More 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
African American 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 89.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.8, Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Santa Maria-Bonita, which includes Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary.
$14,410
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.7%
State 68.7%
Federal 11.6%
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 Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jimenez Roberto and Dr. Francisco Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bruce (Robert) Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Alvin Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fesler (Isaac) Junior High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kunst (Tommie) Junior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,177
- Students per teacher
- 29.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,050
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 998
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 974
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 912
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar elementary schools in Santa Maria
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Jimenez Roberto and Dr. Francisco Elementary
Standard public school
1,177 students 29.4:1 students per teacher
Bruce (Robert) Elementary
Standard public school
1,050 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Alvin Elementary
Standard public school
998 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Rice (William) Elementary
Standard public school
887 students 24:1 students per teacher
Miller (Isaac) Elementary
Standard public school
883 students 25.2:1 students per teacher
Adam (William Laird) Elementary
Standard public school
874 students 24.3:1 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 (~917 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Santa Maria-Bonita'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 Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary
How many students attend Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary?
Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary has 917 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Santa Maria, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Tunnell (Martin Luther) 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 Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary?
69.7% of students at Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 89.3% of enrollment, in Santa Maria, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary?
Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (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 Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary rank among elementary schools in Santa Maria?
By Resource Investment Index, Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary ranks #13 of 24 elementary schools in Santa Maria, 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 Santa Maria on the city page.
Is Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary a good school?
Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% 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 Santa Maria-Bonita?
Besides Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary, Santa Maria-Bonita also operates Jimenez Roberto and Dr. Francisco Elementary (1,177 students), Bruce (Robert) Elementary (1,050 students), and Alvin Elementary (998 students). See the Santa Maria-Bonita 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.