Enrollment
235
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Petaluma, CA
Wilson Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Wilson Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 064275006980
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 74
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wilson Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of California schools.
- #14 of 25
- elementary schools in Petaluma · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 26.1:1
- large classes for California
- 19.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Wilson Elementary has class sizes larger than 86% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wilson Elementary ranks #14 of 25 elementary schools in Petaluma, CA.
School address
District: Wilmar Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 064275006980 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
9.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wilson Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wilson Elementary
Wilson Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Petaluma, California, enrolling 235 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.1:1 is larger than about 86% of California schools and 21% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 19.3% free-meal eligibility runs 65% below the California average.
Enrollment of 235 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 273 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #131.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%) (diversity index 36/100).
10.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Wilmar Union Elementary spends $12,900 per pupil, 22% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Petaluma's elementary schools, it stands alongside Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley (494 students): Wilson Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (26.1:1 vs 29.1:1).
Wilmar Union Elementary operates only this one school, so Wilson Elementary has no district-mates to compare against locally.
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 Wilson Elementary compares
Wilson 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 | 26.1:1 | ▲ 21% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.3% | ▼ 65% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 235 | top 80% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.1:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
235
Bigger than 23% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
26.1:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 86% in California - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
10.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$12,900
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.8 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 78.3%
Hispanic or Latino 17.0%
African American 1.7%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.3%
Two or More 0.4%
Largest group: White at 78.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.7, Wilson Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wilmar Union Elementary, which includes Wilson Elementary.
$12,900
Per student
-22%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 68.0%
State 22.4%
Federal 9.6%
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.
Similar elementary schools in Petaluma
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley
Standard public school
494 students 29.1:1 students per teacher
Loma Vista Immersion Academy
Standard public school
451 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Sonoma Mountain Elementary
Standard public school
422 students 26.4:1 students per teacher
Corona Creek Elementary
Standard public school
403 students 22.4:1 students per teacher
Grant Elementary
Standard public school
386 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Meadow Elementary
Standard public school
384 students 24:1 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 (~235 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~26.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wilson Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Wilson Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Wilmar Union 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 Wilson Elementary
How many students attend Wilson Elementary?
Wilson Elementary has 235 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Petaluma, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wilson Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Wilson Elementary is 26.1:1, which is 21% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 66% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Wilson Elementary?
19.3% of students at Wilson Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wilson Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Wilson Elementary is White at 78.3% of enrollment, in Petaluma, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wilson Elementary?
Wilson Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Wilson Elementary rank among elementary schools in Petaluma?
By Resource Investment Index, Wilson Elementary ranks #14 of 25 elementary schools in Petaluma, 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 Petaluma on the city page.
Is Wilson Elementary a good school?
Wilson Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% 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 Wilmar Union Elementary?
None reported; Wilmar Union Elementary operates only Wilson Elementary as a public school district in NCES's records.
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.