Enrollment
36
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Whitethorn, CA
Whale Gulch Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Whale Gulch Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060966500669
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Whale Gulch Elementary earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of California schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in California.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Whitethorn · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18:1
- small classes for California
- 42.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Whale Gulch Elementary has class sizes smaller than 79% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Whale Gulch Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Whitethorn, CA.
School address
District: Leggett Valley Unified · California
NCES ID 060966500669 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
2.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Whale Gulch Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Whale Gulch Elementary
Whale Gulch Elementary is a small elementary school in Whitethorn, California, enrolling 36 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 42.4% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 95% of California schools, with 36 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 88 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #52.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and Hispanic or Latino (36%) (diversity index 60/100).
16.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Leggett Valley Unified spends $25,750 per pupil, 56% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Whitethorn's elementary schools, it stands alongside Whitethorn Elementary (16 students): Whale Gulch Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18:1 vs 8:1).
Leggett Valley Unified also operates Leggett Valley Elementary (51 students) and Leggett Valley High (17 students) alongside Whale Gulch 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 Whale Gulch Elementary compares
Whale Gulch 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 | 18:1 | ▼ 16% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.4% | ▼ 24% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 36 | top 95% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
36
Bigger than 4% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 21% in California - lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
16.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$25,750
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 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 50.0%
Hispanic or Latino 36.1%
Two or More 13.9%
Largest group: White at 50.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.0, Whale Gulch Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Leggett Valley Unified, which includes Whale Gulch Elementary.
$25,750
Per student
+56%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+55%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.6%
State 78.9%
Federal 5.4%
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 Whale Gulch Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leggett Valley Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Leggett Valley High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Whale Gulch High | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Whale Gulch Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 51
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 17
- Students per teacher
- 5.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 7
- Students per teacher
- 3.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar elementary schools in Whitethorn
1 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 (~36 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Whale Gulch Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Whale Gulch Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Leggett Valley 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 Whale Gulch Elementary
How many students attend Whale Gulch Elementary?
Whale Gulch Elementary has 36 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Whitethorn, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Whale Gulch Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Whale Gulch Elementary is 18:1, which is 16% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 15% 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 Whale Gulch Elementary?
42.4% of students at Whale Gulch Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Whale Gulch Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Whale Gulch Elementary is White at 50.0% of enrollment, in Whitethorn, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Whale Gulch Elementary?
Whale Gulch Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical 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 Whale Gulch Elementary rank among public schools in Whitethorn?
By Resource Investment Index, Whale Gulch Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Whitethorn, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Whitethorn on the city page.
Is Whale Gulch Elementary a good school?
Whale Gulch Elementary earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of California schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in California. 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 Leggett Valley Unified?
Besides Whale Gulch Elementary, Leggett Valley Unified also operates Leggett Valley Elementary (51 students), Leggett Valley High (17 students), and Whale Gulch High (7 students). See the Leggett Valley 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.