Neal Dow Elementary

Neal Dow Elementary is one of the compact elementary schools in Chico, California, one of the schools within Chico Unified, with 364 students on its rolls from grades K through 5. That puts it 22% smaller than the typical public school in California, which averages around 465 students.

Chico Unified comprises 22 schools with combined enrollment of 12,260 students; Neal Dow Elementary is among them.

In terms of who attends, Neal Dow Elementary logs that 54% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Other groups include 27% Hispanic, 13% multiracial, 3% Asian. That is considerably less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 70%.

Looking at school resources, On paper, Neal Dow Elementary has 22 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 16.9:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 22.3:1, putting Neal Dow Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. About 68% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

With demographic context factored in, Neal Dow Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 39.1% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 48.9%.

Zooming out to the county, community-level numbers for Butte County indicate median household earnings sit near $67,928, 32% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 12%. Across Butte County's 96 public schools (combined enrollment of about 29,730 students), Neal Dow Elementary is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Hooker Oak Elementary, roughly 0.5 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Neal Dow Elementary. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Neal Dow Elementary at 3rd of 6; the average score across the group is 45.7%.

Geographically, the school is in a downtown area.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Neal Dow Elementary has ticked up 10%, going from 332 students in 2018 to 364 in 2025. The White share of enrollment decreased from 65% to 54% over that span. Class-load math has fell: from 23.7:1 in 2018 to 16.9:1 in 2025.

On allk12, the feed for Neal Dow Elementary typically covers open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.