Enrollment
843
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Hawthorne, CA
Zela Davis
Federal NCES profile for Zela Davis, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 8/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061668002101
👥 S:T ratio 1
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Zela Davis earns 8/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of California schools.
- #7 of 11
- elementary schools in Hawthorne · Resource Index
- 8
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.8:1
- large classes for California
- 63.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Zela Davis has class sizes larger than 78% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Zela Davis ranks #7 of 11 elementary schools in Hawthorne, CA.
School address
District: Hawthorne · California
NCES ID 061668002101 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Zela Davis compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Zela Davis
Zela Davis is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Hawthorne, California, enrolling 843 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.8:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 63.4% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 843 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,352 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,305, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (64%) and African American (28%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 843 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Hawthorne's elementary schools, it stands alongside Ramona (767 students): Zela Davis is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24.8:1 vs 25.6:1).
Hawthorne also operates Ramona (767 students) and Hawthorne Middle (761 students) alongside Zela Davis.
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 Zela Davis compares
Zela Davis on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 24.8:1 | ▲ 15% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.4% | ▲ 14% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 843 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.8:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
843
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% 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
24.8:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 78% in California - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
50.3%
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
$17,073
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 843 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 13 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 64.1%
African American 28.2%
Asian 3.0%
Two or More 2.6%
White 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 64.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.8, Zela Davis is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hawthorne, which includes Zela Davis.
$17,073
Per student
+3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.4%
State 71.7%
Federal 13.9%
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 Zela Davis Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramona | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hawthorne Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Eucalyptus | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Prairie Vista Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bud Carson Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Zela Davis's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 767
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 8/100
- Enrollment
- 761
- Students per teacher
- 25.4:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 709
- Students per teacher
- 27.3:1
- Resource Index
- 7/100
- Enrollment
- 674
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 601
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
Similar elementary schools in Hawthorne
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Ramona
Standard public school
767 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Eucalyptus
Standard public school
709 students 27.3:1 students per teacher
Juan De Anza Elementary
Standard public school
612 students 26.6:1 students per teacher
Kornblum
Standard public school
566 students 27:1 students per teacher
Jefferson
Standard public school
549 students 28.9:1 students per teacher
Juan Cabrillo Elementary
Standard public school
518 students 25.9:1 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 (~843 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Zela Davis's federal record.
- Compare Zela Davis against another school. Compare schools
- Hawthorne'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 Zela Davis
How many students attend Zela Davis?
Zela Davis has 843 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Hawthorne, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Zela Davis?
The student-teacher ratio at Zela Davis is 24.8:1, which is 15% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 58% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Zela Davis?
63.4% of students at Zela Davis are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Zela Davis?
The largest demographic group at Zela Davis is Hispanic or Latino at 64.1% of enrollment, in Hawthorne, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Zela Davis?
Zela Davis has a Resource Investment Index of 8/100 (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 Zela Davis rank among elementary schools in Hawthorne?
By Resource Investment Index, Zela Davis ranks #7 of 11 elementary schools in Hawthorne, 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 Hawthorne on the city page.
Is Zela Davis a good school?
Zela Davis earns 8/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% 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 Hawthorne?
Besides Zela Davis, Hawthorne also operates Ramona (767 students), Hawthorne Middle (761 students), and Eucalyptus (709 students). See the Hawthorne 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.