Enrollment
321
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Costa Mesa, CA
Adams Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Adams Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062724009593
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Adams Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of California schools.
- #7 of 15
- elementary schools in Costa Mesa · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.3:1
- small classes for California
- 65.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Adams Elementary has class sizes smaller than 88% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Adams Elementary ranks #7 of 15 elementary schools in Costa Mesa, CA.
School address
District: Newport-Mesa Unified · California
NCES ID 062724009593 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Adams Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Adams Elementary
Adams Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Costa Mesa, California, enrolling 321 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 15.3:1, Adams Elementary is leaner than roughly 88% of California schools and 29% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 65.1% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 321 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,283 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #260.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (74%) and White (17%) (diversity index 42/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Newport-Mesa Unified spends $20,621 per pupil, 25% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Costa Mesa's elementary schools, it stands alongside Maude B. Davis Elementary (570 students): Adams Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.3:1 vs 25.9:1).
Newport-Mesa Unified also operates Corona Del Mar High (2,106 students) and Newport Harbor High (2,084 students) alongside Adams Elementary.
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 Adams Elementary compares
Adams 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 | 15.3:1 | ▼ 29% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.1% | ▲ 17% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 321 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
321
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 29% below state mean
Top 12% in California - lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
39.9%
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
$20,621
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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 73.8%
White 16.8%
Asian 3.7%
Two or More 3.1%
African American 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 73.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.4, Adams Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Newport-Mesa Unified, which includes Adams Elementary.
$20,621
Per student
+25%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 74.9%
State 17.7%
Federal 7.4%
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 Adams Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corona Del Mar High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Newport Harbor High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Costa Mesa High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Estancia High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Horace Ensign Intermediate | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Adams Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,106
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,084
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,730
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 976
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 875
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
Similar elementary schools in Costa Mesa
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Maude B. Davis Elementary
Standard public school
570 students 25.9:1 students per teacher
Heinz Kaiser Elementary
Standard public school
539 students 23.4:1 students per teacher
Woodland Elementary
Standard public school
487 students 21.2:1 students per teacher
College Park Elementary
Standard public school
473 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
Killybrooke Elementary
Standard public school
473 students 23.6:1 students per teacher
Whittier Elementary
Standard public school
454 students 18.9:1 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 (~321 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Adams Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Adams Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Newport-Mesa Unified'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 Adams Elementary
How many students attend Adams Elementary?
Adams Elementary has 321 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Costa Mesa, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Adams Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Adams Elementary is 15.3:1, which is 29% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Adams Elementary?
65.1% of students at Adams Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Adams Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Adams Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 73.8% of enrollment, in Costa Mesa, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Adams Elementary?
Adams Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Adams Elementary rank among elementary schools in Costa Mesa?
By Resource Investment Index, Adams Elementary ranks #7 of 15 elementary schools in Costa Mesa, 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 Costa Mesa on the city page.
Is Adams Elementary a good school?
Adams Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% 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 Newport-Mesa Unified?
Besides Adams Elementary, Newport-Mesa Unified also operates Corona Del Mar High (2,106 students), Newport Harbor High (2,084 students), and Costa Mesa High (1,730 students). See the Newport-Mesa Unified 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.