Enrollment
530
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Santa Maria, CA
Alice Shaw Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Alice Shaw Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 17/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062871004468
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Alice Shaw Elementary earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of California schools.
- #21 of 24
- elementary schools in Santa Maria · Resource Index
- 17
- Resource Index · Lower
- 26.5:1
- large classes for California
- 47.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Alice Shaw Elementary has class sizes larger than 87% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Alice Shaw Elementary ranks #21 of 24 elementary schools in Santa Maria, CA.
School address
District: Orcutt Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 062871004468 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Alice Shaw Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Alice Shaw Elementary
Alice Shaw Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Santa Maria, California, enrolling 530 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.5:1 is larger than about 87% of California schools and 23% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 47.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 530 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,445 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,170, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (69%) and White (23%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1178 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Orcutt Union Elementary spends $12,686 per pupil, 23% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Santa Maria's elementary schools, it stands alongside Jimenez Roberto and Dr. Francisco Elementary (1,177 students): Alice Shaw Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (26.5:1 vs 29.4:1).
Orcutt Union Elementary also operates Orcutt Academy Charter (812 students) and Joe Nightingale Elementary (695 students) alongside Alice Shaw 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 Alice Shaw Elementary compares
Alice Shaw 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 | 26.5:1 | ▲ 23% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.4% | ▼ 15% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 530 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.5:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
530
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
26.5:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 87% in California - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
24.9%
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
$12,686
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.4 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 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 68.5%
White 23.4%
Two or More 6.2%
Asian 0.9%
African American 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 68.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.2, Alice Shaw Elementary is about as mixed as the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Orcutt Union Elementary, which includes Alice Shaw Elementary.
$12,686
Per student
-23%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.2%
State 55.5%
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 Alice Shaw Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orcutt Academy Charter | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Joe Nightingale Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Patterson Road Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pine Grove Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ralph Dunlap Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Alice Shaw Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 812
- Students per teacher
- 23.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 26.7:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 662
- Students per teacher
- 30.1:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 569
- Students per teacher
- 28.4:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 502
- Students per teacher
- 27.9:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
Similar elementary schools in Santa Maria
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Jimenez Roberto and Dr. Francisco Elementary
Standard public school
1,177 students 29.4:1 students per teacher
Bruce (Robert) Elementary
Standard public school
1,050 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Alvin Elementary
Standard public school
998 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary
Standard public school
917 students 25.5:1 students per teacher
Rice (William) Elementary
Standard public school
887 students 24:1 students per teacher
Miller (Isaac) Elementary
Standard public school
883 students 25.2:1 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 (~530 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Alice Shaw Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Alice Shaw Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Orcutt Union Elementary'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 Alice Shaw Elementary
How many students attend Alice Shaw Elementary?
Alice Shaw Elementary has 530 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Santa Maria, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Alice Shaw Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Alice Shaw Elementary is 26.5:1, which is 23% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 69% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Alice Shaw Elementary?
47.4% of students at Alice Shaw Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Alice Shaw Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Alice Shaw Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 68.5% of enrollment, in Santa Maria, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Alice Shaw Elementary?
Alice Shaw Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 17/100 (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 Alice Shaw Elementary rank among elementary schools in Santa Maria?
By Resource Investment Index, Alice Shaw Elementary ranks #21 of 24 elementary schools in Santa Maria, 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 Santa Maria on the city page.
Is Alice Shaw Elementary a good school?
Alice Shaw Elementary earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% 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 Orcutt Union Elementary?
Besides Alice Shaw Elementary, Orcutt Union Elementary also operates Orcutt Academy Charter (812 students), Joe Nightingale Elementary (695 students), and Patterson Road Elementary (662 students). See the Orcutt Union Elementary 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.