Birney Elementary

As a roomy K-5 school in Fresno, California, Birney Elementary serves 731 students from grades K through 6, one of the schools within Fresno Unified. By comparison, California's public schools average about 465 students each, so Birney Elementary sits 57% above that benchmark.

Birney Elementary is one of 100 schools operated by Fresno Unified, a district that teaches 67,873 students overall.

On the student-mix side, Birney Elementary shows that Hispanic students make up the majority at 75%. Beyond that, the school records 9% Asian, 6% Black, 5% White, 2% multiracial. That is meaningfully more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 55%.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Birney Elementary has 34 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 21.4:1. The state averages around 22.3:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Around 95% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Fresno County (around 75%), the school's rate is noticeably above typical.

After controlling for student poverty, Birney Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 23.1%; this one delivers 32.5%.

In the area at large, community-level numbers for Fresno County indicate median household income runs about $74,201, 24% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 14% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Fresno County runs 368 public schools (combined enrollment of about 206,072 students), of which Birney Elementary is one.

Nearest neighbor: Carter G. Woodson Public Charter, around 0.4 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Birney Elementary. Among the 5 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Birney Elementary ranks 5th on composite proficiency, behind the local average of 47.7%.

Geographically, the school is in an inner-city area.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Birney Elementary has declined 10%, going from 809 students in 2018 to 731 in 2025. Class-load math has pulled in: from 23.8:1 in 2018 to 21.4:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.