Enrollment
154
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Salinas, CA
Washington Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Washington Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 064161006863
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 74
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Washington Elementary earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of California schools.
- #7 of 39
- elementary schools in Salinas · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.7:1
- large classes for California
- 10.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Washington Elementary has class sizes larger than 84% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Washington Elementary ranks #7 of 39 elementary schools in Salinas, CA.
School address
District: Washington Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 064161006863 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
6.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-81% 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 lower-poverty, small elementary school in Salinas, California, enrolling 154 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.7:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 10.5% free-meal eligibility runs 81% below the California average.
Enrollment of 154 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 66 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #55, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 770 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
10.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Washington Union Elementary spends $12,940 per pupil, 22% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Salinas's elementary schools, it stands alongside Sherwood Elementary (859 students): Washington Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.7:1 vs 22:1).
Washington Union Elementary also operates Toro Park Elementary (341 students) and San Benancio Middle (261 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 | 25.7:1 | ▲ 20% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.5% | ▼ 81% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 154 | top 86% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.7:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
154
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 81% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
25.7:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 84% in California - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
10.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$12,940
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.2 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
White 50.6%
Hispanic or Latino 29.2%
Two or More 12.3%
Asian 7.1%
African American 0.6%
Largest group: White at 50.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.8, Washington Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Washington Union Elementary, which includes Washington Elementary.
$12,940
Per student
-22%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 69.6%
State 27.4%
Federal 3.0%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toro Park Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Benancio Middle | Larger | 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
- 341
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 261
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar elementary schools in Salinas
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Sherwood Elementary
Standard public school
859 students 22:1 students per teacher
Monte Bella Elementary
Standard public school
812 students 25.4:1 students per teacher
Henry F. Kammann Elementary
Standard public school
743 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Fremont Elementary
Standard public school
711 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
Natividad Elementary
Standard public school
705 students 24.3:1 students per teacher
Mission Park Elementary
Standard public school
657 students 27.4:1 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 (~154 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Washington Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Washington Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Washington Union 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 Washington Elementary
How many students attend Washington Elementary?
Washington Elementary has 154 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Salinas, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Washington Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Washington Elementary is 25.7:1, which is 20% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 64% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Washington Elementary?
10.5% 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 White at 50.6% of enrollment, in Salinas, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Washington Elementary?
Washington Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (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 Washington Elementary rank among elementary schools in Salinas?
By Resource Investment Index, Washington Elementary ranks #7 of 39 elementary schools in Salinas, 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 Salinas on the city page.
Is Washington Elementary a good school?
Washington Elementary earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of 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 Washington Union Elementary?
Besides Washington Elementary, Washington Union Elementary also operates Toro Park Elementary (341 students) and San Benancio Middle (261 students). See the Washington Union 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.