Enrollment
423
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Mendota, CA
Washington Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Washington 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 060002209294
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Washington 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.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Mendota · Resource Index
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.1:1
- students per teacher
- 95.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Washington Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Washington Elementary ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Mendota, CA.
School address
District: Mendota Unified · California
NCES ID 060002209294 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
95.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
+73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Washington Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Washington Elementary
Washington Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Mendota, California, enrolling 423 students.
At 21.1:1, 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: 95.9% of students qualify for free meals, 73% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 423 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
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 896 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #781, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (99% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 1/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 57.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Mendota's elementary schools, it stands alongside Mccabe Elementary (986 students): Washington Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.1:1 vs 26.6:1).
Mendota Unified also operates Mendota High (1,065 students) and Mccabe Elementary (986 students) alongside Washington 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 Washington Elementary compares
Washington 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 | 21.1:1 | ▼ 2% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 95.9% | ▲ 73% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 423 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.1:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
423
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
95.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% 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
21.1:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 44% in California - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
57.4%
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
$14,236
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 + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 99.3%
Two or More 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 99.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 1.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 1.4, Washington Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mendota Unified, which includes Washington Elementary.
$14,236
Per student
-14%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.4%
State 72.5%
Federal 13.2%
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 Washington Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mendota High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mccabe Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mendota Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mendota Junior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mendota Continuation High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Washington Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,065
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 986
- Students per teacher
- 26.6:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 857
- Students per teacher
- 25.2:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 612
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 11/100
- Enrollment
- 24
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar elementary schools in Mendota
2 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 (~423 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Washington Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Washington Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Mendota 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 Washington Elementary
How many students attend Washington Elementary?
Washington Elementary has 423 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Mendota, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Washington Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Washington Elementary is 21.1:1, which is 2% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 34% 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 Washington Elementary?
95.9% of students at Washington Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Washington Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Washington Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 99.3% of enrollment, in Mendota, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Washington Elementary?
Washington 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 Washington Elementary rank among elementary schools in Mendota?
By Resource Investment Index, Washington Elementary ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Mendota, 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 Mendota on the city page.
Is Washington Elementary a good school?
Washington 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 Mendota Unified?
Besides Washington Elementary, Mendota Unified also operates Mendota High (1,065 students), Mccabe Elementary (986 students), and Mendota Elementary (857 students). See the Mendota 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.