Enrollment
346
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lakewood, CA
Willow Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Willow Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060162000030
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 77
📋 Attendance 24
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Willow Elementary earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools.
- #1 of 14
- elementary schools in Lakewood · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 19.2:1
- small classes for California
- 70.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Willow Elementary has class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Willow Elementary ranks #1 of 14 elementary schools in Lakewood, CA.
School address
District: Abc Unified · California
NCES ID 060162000030 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
+28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Willow Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Willow Elementary
Willow Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Lakewood, California, enrolling 346 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 70.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 346 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 91% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 1,518 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #53, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (72%) and Asian (10%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 115 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Lakewood's elementary schools, it stands alongside Intensive Learning Center (646 students): Willow Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.2:1 vs 22.3:1).
Abc Unified also operates Cerritos High (1,996 students) and Gahr (Richard) High (1,631 students) alongside Willow 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 Willow Elementary compares
Willow 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 | 19.2:1 | ▼ 11% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.9% | ▲ 28% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 346 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.2:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
346
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% 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
19.2:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 29% in California - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
30.3%
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
$15,031
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 115 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 72.3%
Asian 10.4%
Two or More 7.5%
African American 6.1%
White 3.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 72.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.6, Willow Elementary is about as mixed as the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Abc Unified, which includes Willow Elementary.
$15,031
Per student
-9%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.1%
State 68.2%
Federal 9.7%
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 Willow Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cerritos High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gahr (Richard) High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Artesia High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Whitney (Gretchen) High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Leal (Frank C.) Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Willow Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,996
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,631
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,384
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,024
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 774
- Students per teacher
- 28.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar elementary schools in Lakewood
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Intensive Learning Center
Standard public school
646 students 22.3:1 students per teacher
Esther Lindstrom Elementary
Standard public school
552 students 23:1 students per teacher
Stephen Foster Elementary
Standard public school
501 students 21.8:1 students per teacher
Riley Elementary
Standard public school
490 students 27.2:1 students per teacher
Craig Williams Elementary
Standard public school
478 students 26.6:1 students per teacher
Palms Elementary
Standard public school
463 students 21:1 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 (~346 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Willow Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Willow Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Abc 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 Willow Elementary
How many students attend Willow Elementary?
Willow Elementary has 346 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lakewood, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Willow Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Willow Elementary is 19.2:1, which is 11% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 22% 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 Willow Elementary?
70.9% of students at Willow Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Willow Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Willow Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 72.3% of enrollment, in Lakewood, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Willow Elementary?
Willow Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher 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 Willow Elementary rank among elementary schools in Lakewood?
By Resource Investment Index, Willow Elementary ranks #1 of 14 elementary schools in Lakewood, 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 Lakewood on the city page.
Is Willow Elementary a good school?
Willow Elementary earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% 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 Abc Unified?
Besides Willow Elementary, Abc Unified also operates Cerritos High (1,996 students), Gahr (Richard) High (1,631 students), and Artesia High (1,384 students). See the Abc 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.