Enrollment
512
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bloomington, CA
Walter Zimmerman Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Walter Zimmerman Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060939000959
👥 S:T ratio 11
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Walter Zimmerman Elementary earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #2 of 5
- elementary schools in Bloomington · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.3:1
- students per teacher
- 83.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Walter Zimmerman Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Walter Zimmerman Elementary ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Bloomington, CA.
School address
District: Colton Joint Unified · California
NCES ID 060939000959 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
83.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Walter Zimmerman Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Walter Zimmerman Elementary
Walter Zimmerman Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Bloomington, California, enrolling 512 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 is high: 83.2% of students qualify for free meals, 50% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 512 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,989 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #1,370.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (98% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 4/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 512 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 59.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Bloomington's elementary schools, it stands alongside Ruth Grimes Elementary (606 students): Walter Zimmerman Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (22.3:1 vs 20.9:1).
Colton Joint Unified also operates Bloomington High (1,794 students) and Colton High (1,729 students) alongside Walter Zimmerman 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 Walter Zimmerman Elementary compares
Walter Zimmerman 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 | 83.2% | ▲ 50% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 512 | top 43% | - | - |
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.
512
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
83.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; 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
59.0%
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
$16,590
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 512 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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 98.0%
White 0.8%
African American 0.6%
Two or More 0.4%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 98.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 3.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 3.9, Walter Zimmerman Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Colton Joint Unified, which includes Walter Zimmerman Elementary.
$16,590
Per student
+0%
vs California
Avg $16,509
0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.0%
State 68.2%
Federal 11.8%
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 Walter Zimmerman Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Colton High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Grand Terrace High Sch at the Ray Abril Jr. Edal Complex | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Colton Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Terrace Hills Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Walter Zimmerman Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,794
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,729
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,647
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 870
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 852
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar elementary schools in Bloomington
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Ruth Grimes Elementary
Standard public school
606 students 20.9:1 students per teacher
Crestmore Elementary
Standard public school
586 students 22.5:1 students per teacher
Gerald a. Smith Elementary
Standard public school
565 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Mary B. Lewis Elementary
Standard public school
548 students 22.8:1 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 (~512 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Walter Zimmerman Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Walter Zimmerman Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Colton Joint 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 Walter Zimmerman Elementary
How many students attend Walter Zimmerman Elementary?
Walter Zimmerman Elementary has 512 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bloomington, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Walter Zimmerman Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Walter Zimmerman 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 Walter Zimmerman Elementary?
83.2% of students at Walter Zimmerman Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Walter Zimmerman Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Walter Zimmerman Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 98.0% of enrollment, in Bloomington, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walter Zimmerman Elementary?
Walter Zimmerman Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (lower 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 Walter Zimmerman Elementary rank among elementary schools in Bloomington?
By Resource Investment Index, Walter Zimmerman Elementary ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Bloomington, 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 Bloomington on the city page.
Is Walter Zimmerman Elementary a good school?
Walter Zimmerman Elementary earns 20/100 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 Colton Joint Unified?
Besides Walter Zimmerman Elementary, Colton Joint Unified also operates Bloomington High (1,794 students), Colton High (1,729 students), and Grand Terrace High Sch at the Ray Abril Jr. Edal Complex (1,647 students). See the Colton Joint 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.