Enrollment
697
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Fresno, CA
William Saroyan Elementary
Federal NCES profile for William Saroyan 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 060797003035
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 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
William Saroyan Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of California schools.
- #61 of 115
- elementary schools in Fresno · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.9:1
- large classes for California
- 65.4%
- free-lunch eligible
William Saroyan Elementary has class sizes larger than 79% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, William Saroyan Elementary ranks #61 of 115 elementary schools in Fresno, CA.
School address
District: Central Unified · California
NCES ID 060797003035 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How William Saroyan Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at William Saroyan Elementary
William Saroyan Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Fresno, California, enrolling 697 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.9:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 65.4% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 697 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,797 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,282, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (65%) and White (14%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 697 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Fresno's elementary schools, it stands alongside Harvest Elementary (1,010 students): William Saroyan Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24.9:1 vs 29.7:1).
Central Unified also operates Justin Garza High (2,095 students) and Central East High (1,741 students) alongside William Saroyan 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 William Saroyan Elementary compares
William Saroyan 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 | 24.9:1 | ▲ 16% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.4% | ▲ 18% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 697 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.9:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
697
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% 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
24.9:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 79% in California - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
44.5%
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
$14,150
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 697 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 40 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.7 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 64.7%
White 13.6%
Asian 8.8%
African American 7.3%
Two or More 4.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 64.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.8, William Saroyan Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Central Unified, which includes William Saroyan Elementary.
$14,150
Per student
-14%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.2%
State 65.7%
Federal 12.0%
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 William Saroyan Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Garza High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central East High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Harvest Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Glacier Point Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rio Vista Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to William Saroyan Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,095
- Students per teacher
- 29.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,741
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,010
- Students per teacher
- 29.7:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 947
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 851
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar elementary schools in Fresno
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Harvest Elementary
Standard public school
1,010 students 29.7:1 students per teacher
James S. Fugman Elementary
Standard public school
893 students 28.8:1 students per teacher
Roger S. Oraze Elementary
Standard public school
868 students 25.5:1 students per teacher
Thomas Elementary
Standard public school
859 students 24.5:1 students per teacher
Ewing Elementary
Standard public school
842 students 20.5:1 students per teacher
John S. Wash Elementary
Standard public school
838 students 27.9:1 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 (~697 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on William Saroyan Elementary's federal record.
- Compare William Saroyan Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Central 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 William Saroyan Elementary
How many students attend William Saroyan Elementary?
William Saroyan Elementary has 697 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Fresno, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at William Saroyan Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at William Saroyan Elementary is 24.9:1, which is 16% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 59% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at William Saroyan Elementary?
65.4% of students at William Saroyan Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of William Saroyan Elementary?
The largest demographic group at William Saroyan Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 64.7% of enrollment, in Fresno, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for William Saroyan Elementary?
William Saroyan Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (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 William Saroyan Elementary rank among elementary schools in Fresno?
By Resource Investment Index, William Saroyan Elementary ranks #61 of 115 elementary schools in Fresno, 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 Fresno on the city page.
Is William Saroyan Elementary a good school?
William Saroyan Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% 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 Central Unified?
Besides William Saroyan Elementary, Central Unified also operates Justin Garza High (2,095 students), Central East High (1,741 students), and Harvest Elementary (1,010 students). See the Central 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.