Enrollment
534
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · El Monte, CA
Willard F. Payne Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Willard F. Payne Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062619003920
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Willard F. Payne Elementary earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #18 of 21
- elementary schools in El Monte · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.5:1
- students per teacher
- 76.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Willard F. Payne Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Willard F. Payne Elementary ranks #18 of 21 elementary schools in El Monte, CA.
School address
District: Mountain View Elementary · California
NCES ID 062619003920 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Willard F. Payne Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Willard F. Payne Elementary
Willard F. Payne Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in El Monte, California, enrolling 534 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 20.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 76.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 534 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.
Against 2,224 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #1,326.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 10/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 534 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 54.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Mountain View Elementary spends $19,931 per pupil, 21% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among El Monte's elementary schools, it stands alongside Durfee Elementary (1,120 students): Willard F. Payne Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.5:1 vs 22.9:1).
Mountain View Elementary also operates Parkview Elementary (920 students) and Monte Vista Elementary (785 students) alongside Willard F. Payne 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 Willard F. Payne Elementary compares
Willard F. Payne 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 | 20.5:1 | ▼ 5% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.2% | ▲ 37% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 534 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.5:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
534
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.2%
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
20.5:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 39% in California - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
54.3%
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
$19,931
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 534 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.5 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 94.9%
Asian 4.7%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 94.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 9.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 9.7, Willard F. Payne Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mountain View Elementary, which includes Willard F. Payne Elementary.
$19,931
Per student
+21%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.2%
State 64.4%
Federal 15.5%
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 Willard F. Payne Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parkview Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Monte Vista Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Baker Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Twin Lakes Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Miramonte Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Willard F. Payne Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 920
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 785
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 601
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 502
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
Similar elementary schools in El Monte
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Durfee Elementary
Standard public school
1,120 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
Parkview Elementary
Standard public school
920 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Monte Vista Elementary
Standard public school
785 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
Columbia Elementary
Standard public school
706 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Baker Elementary
Standard public school
601 students 20:1 students per teacher
Potrero Elementary
Standard public school
596 students 19.9:1 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 (~534 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Willard F. Payne Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Willard F. Payne Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Mountain View 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 Willard F. Payne Elementary
How many students attend Willard F. Payne Elementary?
Willard F. Payne Elementary has 534 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in El Monte, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Willard F. Payne Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Willard F. Payne Elementary is 20.5:1, which is 5% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 31% 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 Willard F. Payne Elementary?
76.2% of students at Willard F. Payne Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Willard F. Payne Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Willard F. Payne Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 94.9% of enrollment, in El Monte, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Willard F. Payne Elementary?
Willard F. Payne Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (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 Willard F. Payne Elementary rank among elementary schools in El Monte?
By Resource Investment Index, Willard F. Payne Elementary ranks #18 of 21 elementary schools in El Monte, 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 El Monte on the city page.
Is Willard F. Payne Elementary a good school?
Willard F. Payne Elementary earns 22/100 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 Mountain View Elementary?
Besides Willard F. Payne Elementary, Mountain View Elementary also operates Parkview Elementary (920 students), Monte Vista Elementary (785 students), and Baker Elementary (601 students). See the Mountain View 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.