CaliforniaSchoolsHoward Wood Elementary

Howard Wood Elementary

PublicRegular
Torrance, California · Torrance Unified
Teachers17.0FTE
Ratio22.3:1students per teacher
Students379enrolled
SCHOOL SNAPSHOT
Students379
Grade Span0–5
Student:Teacher22.3:1
Free/Reduced Lunch44%
Title INo
SectorPublic
Student : Teacher
22.9:1
2.7%vs prior yrUS avg 15.4:1
Teacher FTE
15
11.8%vs prior yr
Enrollment
344
9.2%vs prior yr
Years of Data
5
2020–2024
Counselors
1:645
34.0%vs prior yrASCA max 1:250
Nurses
1:1,683
22.5%vs prior yrNASN max 1:750
Psychologists
1:215
56.0%vs prior yrNASP max 1:500
Social Workers
1:3,870
1.0%vs prior yrSSWAA max 1:250
Trends & 5-year history below

Pupil : Teacher Ratio — 5-Year Trend

14.8:116.5:118.3:120.0:121.8:123.5:12020202120222023202419.4:122.2:120.2:122.3:122.9:1Howard Wood ElementaryUS public-school avg

Enrollment & Teacher FTE

339350360370380391151617181920202020212022202320243873563433793442016171715EnrollmentTeacher FTE

Year-by-year workforce

Metric20202021202220232024Nat Avg
Enrollment387356343379344
Teacher FTE2016171715
Pupil : Teacher ratio19.4:122.2:120.2:122.3:122.9:115.4:1

What These Numbers Mean

Teacher FTE

Full-Time Equivalent counts part-time teachers proportionally. One full-time teacher = 1.0 FTE; two half-time teachers also = 1.0 FTE. This is the standard federal reporting unit.

Pupil : Teacher ratio

NCES-reported ratio divides total enrollment by teacher FTE. It is NOT the same as average class size — schools with specialists, coaches, and resource teachers will show lower ratios than typical class sizes.

How to read the trend

A falling pupil:teacher ratio (line going down) means more staffing per student — generally a positive signal. A rising line can indicate budget pressure or fast enrollment growth outpacing hiring. Always compare to the US average (dashed grey).

Historical data spans 20202024 from NCES CCD.

Student Support & Wellbeing

Non-teaching staff who support student mental health, physical health, and behavioural needs. Lower pupil-to-staff ratios mean more one-on-one access.

Counselors & Social Workers — staff to pupils (recommended 1:250)

1:01:9381:1,8771:2,8151:3,7541:4,6922015201720201:9781:9781:6451:4,3441:3,9101:3,870Counselor : PupilsSocial Worker : PupilsRecommended 1:250

Nurses & Psychologists — staff to pupils

1:01:4691:9381:1,4081:1,8771:2,3462015201720201:2,0581:2,1721:1,6831:9781:4891:215Nurse : PupilsNASN 1:750Psychologist : PupilsNASP 1:500

Support staffing & ratios — year by year

Metric201520172020Nat Avg
Counselors (FTE)0.40.40.6
Nurses (FTE)0.20.20.2
Psychologists (FTE)0.40.81.8
Social Workers (FTE)0.10.10.1
Counselor : Pupils1:9781:9781:6451:250
Nurse : Pupils1:2,0581:2,1721:1,6831:750
Psychologist : Pupils1:9781:4891:2151:500
Social Worker : Pupils1:4,3441:3,9101:3,8701:250

Why these ratios matter

Counselors (ASCA 250:1)

School counselors support academic planning, college & career readiness, and social-emotional wellbeing. The American School Counselor Association recommends no more than 250 students per counselor.

Nurses (NASN 750:1)

School nurses manage chronic conditions, medications, immunisations, and emergencies. The National Association of School Nurses recommends at least 1 full-time nurse per 750 students (more for high-need populations).

Psychologists (NASP 500:1)

School psychologists assess learning & behavioural needs, run mental-health interventions, and coordinate special-education services. NASP recommends 500:1 or lower.

Social workers (SSWAA 250:1)

School social workers bridge home-school relationships, address attendance & trauma, and connect families to community resources. SSWAA recommends 250:1.

Source: US Dept of Education CRDC (20152020) — Civil Rights Data Collection.