Enrollment
449
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Paramount, CA
Wesley Gaines
Federal NCES profile for Wesley Gaines, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 11/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062985004646
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 10
📋 Attendance 2
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wesley Gaines earns 11/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of California schools.
- #10 of 10
- elementary schools in Paramount · Resource Index
- 11
- Resource Index · Lower
- 28.1:1
- large classes for California
- 76.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Wesley Gaines has class sizes larger than 93% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wesley Gaines ranks #10 of 10 elementary schools in Paramount, CA.
School address
District: Paramount Unified · California
NCES ID 062985004646 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
28.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
+37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wesley Gaines compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wesley Gaines
Wesley Gaines is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Paramount, California, enrolling 449 students.
Class loads run heavy: 28.1:1 is larger than about 93% of California schools and 31% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 76.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 449 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 2,107 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,934, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 449 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Paramount's elementary schools, it stands alongside Leona Jackson (517 students): Wesley Gaines is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (28.1:1 vs 16.2:1).
Paramount Unified also operates Paramount High (3,400 students) and Hollydale (794 students) alongside Wesley Gaines.
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 Wesley Gaines compares
Wesley Gaines on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 28.1:1 | ▲ 31% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.1% | ▲ 37% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 449 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
28.1:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
449
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% 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
28.1:1
students per teacher
- 31% above state mean
Top 93% in California - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
39.2%
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
$18,707
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 449 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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
Hispanic or Latino 87.8%
African American 7.3%
Asian 2.4%
Two or More 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
White 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 87.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.3, Wesley Gaines is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Paramount Unified, which includes Wesley Gaines.
$18,707
Per student
+13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.4%
State 67.2%
Federal 15.4%
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 Wesley Gaines Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paramount High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hollydale | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Alondra Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Frank J. Zamboni | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Paramount Park Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wesley Gaines's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,400
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 794
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 735
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 650
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 551
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar elementary schools in Paramount
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Leona Jackson
Standard public school
517 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Major Lynn Mokler
Standard public school
510 students 21.3:1 students per teacher
Abraham Lincoln
Standard public school
502 students 20.9:1 students per teacher
Theodore Roosevelt
Standard public school
491 students 21.3:1 students per teacher
Howard Tanner
Standard public school
428 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Mark Keppel
Standard public school
426 students 26.6:1 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 (~449 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~28.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wesley Gaines's federal record.
- Compare Wesley Gaines against another school. Compare schools
- Paramount 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 Wesley Gaines
How many students attend Wesley Gaines?
Wesley Gaines has 449 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Paramount, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wesley Gaines?
The student-teacher ratio at Wesley Gaines is 28.1:1, which is 31% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 79% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Wesley Gaines?
76.1% of students at Wesley Gaines are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wesley Gaines?
The largest demographic group at Wesley Gaines is Hispanic or Latino at 87.8% of enrollment, in Paramount, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wesley Gaines?
Wesley Gaines has a Resource Investment Index of 11/100 (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 Wesley Gaines rank among elementary schools in Paramount?
By Resource Investment Index, Wesley Gaines ranks #10 of 10 elementary schools in Paramount, 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 Paramount on the city page.
Is Wesley Gaines a good school?
Wesley Gaines earns 11/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% 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 Paramount Unified?
Besides Wesley Gaines, Paramount Unified also operates Paramount High (3,400 students), Hollydale (794 students), and Alondra Middle (735 students). See the Paramount 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.