Enrollment
319
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Needles, CA
Vista Colorado Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Vista Colorado 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 062676004059
👥 S:T ratio 15
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vista Colorado Elementary earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Needles · Resource Index
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.3:1
- students per teacher
- 82.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Vista Colorado Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vista Colorado Elementary ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Needles, CA.
School address
District: Needles Unified · California
NCES ID 062676004059 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vista Colorado Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vista Colorado Elementary
Vista Colorado Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Needles, California, enrolling 319 students.
At 21.3:1, 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 82.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 319 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 1,256 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,101, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (36%) (diversity index 63/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Needles Unified spends $20,418 per pupil, 24% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 22.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Needles Unified also operates Needles High (269 students) and Needles Middle (196 students) alongside Vista Colorado 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 Vista Colorado Elementary compares
Vista Colorado 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 | 21.3:1 | ▼ 1% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.6% | ▲ 49% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 319 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.3:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
319
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
82.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% 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
21.3:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 46% in California - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
48.9%
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
$20,418
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
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: 1.9 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
White 48.0%
Hispanic or Latino 36.4%
African American 6.3%
Two or More 5.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.4%
Asian 0.9%
Largest group: White at 48.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.9, Vista Colorado Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Needles Unified, which includes Vista Colorado Elementary.
$20,418
Per student
+24%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.9%
State 54.6%
Federal 22.6%
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 Vista Colorado Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Needles High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Needles Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Monument Peak | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Chemehuevi Valley Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Needles Community Day | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Vista Colorado Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 269
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 196
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 70
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 40
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 18
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
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 (~319 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vista Colorado Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Vista Colorado Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Needles 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 Vista Colorado Elementary
How many students attend Vista Colorado Elementary?
Vista Colorado Elementary has 319 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Needles, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vista Colorado Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Vista Colorado Elementary is 21.3:1, which is 1% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 36% 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 Vista Colorado Elementary?
82.6% of students at Vista Colorado Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vista Colorado Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Vista Colorado Elementary is White at 48.0% of enrollment, in Needles, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vista Colorado Elementary?
Vista Colorado 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 Vista Colorado Elementary rank among public schools in Needles?
By Resource Investment Index, Vista Colorado Elementary ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Needles, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Needles on the city page.
Is Vista Colorado Elementary a good school?
Vista Colorado Elementary earns 15/100 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 Needles Unified?
Besides Vista Colorado Elementary, Needles Unified also operates Needles High (269 students), Needles Middle (196 students), and Monument Peak (70 students). See the Needles 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.