Enrollment
478
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Porterville, CA
West Putnam Elementary
Federal NCES profile for West Putnam Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 18/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060006404876
👥 S:T ratio 9
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 15
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Putnam Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #11 of 19
- elementary schools in Porterville · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.8:1
- students per teacher
- 88.1%
- free-lunch eligible
West Putnam Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Putnam Elementary ranks #11 of 19 elementary schools in Porterville, CA.
School address
District: Porterville Unified · California
NCES ID 060006404876 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
88.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
+59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Putnam Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Putnam Elementary
West Putnam Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Porterville, California, enrolling 478 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 22.8:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 88.1% of students qualify for free meals, 59% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 478 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.
Among 1,595 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,227, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 9/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Porterville's elementary schools, it stands alongside Santa Fe Elementary (809 students): West Putnam Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.8:1 vs 23.1:1).
Porterville Unified also operates Porterville High (2,125 students) and Monache High (1,855 students) alongside West Putnam 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 West Putnam Elementary compares
West Putnam 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 | 22.8:1 | ▲ 6% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 88.1% | ▲ 59% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 478 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.8:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
478
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
88.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% 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
22.8:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 61% in California - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
34.1%
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
$16,026
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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 95.6%
White 2.7%
Two or More 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Asian 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 95.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 8.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 8.5, West Putnam Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Porterville Unified, which includes West Putnam Elementary.
$16,026
Per student
-3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 12.4%
State 66.8%
Federal 20.8%
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 West Putnam Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porterville High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Monache High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Granite Hills High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Santa Fe Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pioneer Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Putnam Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,125
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 1,855
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 1,206
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 809
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 754
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
Similar elementary schools in Porterville
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Santa Fe Elementary
Standard public school
809 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
Westfield Elementary
Standard public school
661 students 24.5:1 students per teacher
Olive Street Elementary
Standard public school
624 students 26:1 students per teacher
Vandalia Elementary
Standard public school
556 students 25.3:1 students per teacher
John J. Doyle Elementary
Standard public school
552 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Alta Vista Elementary
Standard public school
531 students 24.1:1 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 (~478 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Putnam Elementary's federal record.
- Compare West Putnam Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Porterville 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 West Putnam Elementary
How many students attend West Putnam Elementary?
West Putnam Elementary has 478 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Porterville, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Putnam Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at West Putnam Elementary is 22.8:1, which is 6% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 45% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Putnam Elementary?
88.1% of students at West Putnam Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Putnam Elementary?
The largest demographic group at West Putnam Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 95.6% of enrollment, in Porterville, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Putnam Elementary?
West Putnam Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (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 West Putnam Elementary rank among elementary schools in Porterville?
By Resource Investment Index, West Putnam Elementary ranks #11 of 19 elementary schools in Porterville, 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 Porterville on the city page.
Is West Putnam Elementary a good school?
West Putnam Elementary earns 18/100 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 Porterville Unified?
Besides West Putnam Elementary, Porterville Unified also operates Porterville High (2,125 students), Monache High (1,855 students), and Granite Hills High (1,206 students). See the Porterville 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.