Enrollment
508
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Arroyo Vista Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Arroyo Vista Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060744000745
👥 S:T ratio 8
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Arroyo Vista Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #4 of 6
- elementary schools in Rancho Santa Margarita · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 23.1:1
- students per teacher
- 14.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Arroyo Vista Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Arroyo Vista Elementary ranks #4 of 6 elementary schools in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.
School address
District: Capistrano Unified · California
NCES ID 060744000745 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Arroyo Vista Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Arroyo Vista Elementary
Arroyo Vista Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, enrolling 508 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.1:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 14.9% free-meal eligibility runs 73% below the California average.
With 508 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,109 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #476.
Its student body is led by White (56%) and Two or More (18%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1016 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
11.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Rancho Santa Margarita's elementary schools, it stands alongside Melinda Heights Elementary (950 students): Arroyo Vista Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (23.1:1 vs 25.7:1).
Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students) and San Juan Hills High (2,641 students) alongside Arroyo Vista 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 Arroyo Vista Elementary compares
Arroyo Vista 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 | 23.1:1 | ▲ 7% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.9% | ▼ 73% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 508 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.1:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
508
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
23.1:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 63% in California - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
11.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$14,421
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.5 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
White 56.1%
Two or More 17.9%
Hispanic or Latino 14.8%
Asian 10.8%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: White at 56.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.0, Arroyo Vista Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Capistrano Unified, which includes Arroyo Vista Elementary.
$14,421
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 61.2%
State 31.0%
Federal 7.7%
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 Arroyo Vista Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Clemente High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| San Juan Hills High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aliso Niguel High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tesoro High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Capistrano Valley High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Arroyo Vista Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,740
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,641
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,563
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,030
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,991
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Rancho Santa Margarita
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Melinda Heights Elementary
Standard public school
950 students 25.7:1 students per teacher
Trabuco Mesa Elementary
Standard public school
640 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
Cielo Vista Elementary
Standard public school
487 students 20.3:1 students per teacher
Las Flores Elementary
Standard public school
328 students 23.4:1 students per teacher
Tijeras Creek Elementary
Standard public school
315 students 22.5:1 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 (~508 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Arroyo Vista Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Arroyo Vista Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Capistrano 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 Arroyo Vista Elementary
How many students attend Arroyo Vista Elementary?
Arroyo Vista Elementary has 508 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Arroyo Vista Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Arroyo Vista Elementary is 23.1:1, which is 7% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 47% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Arroyo Vista Elementary?
14.9% of students at Arroyo Vista Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Arroyo Vista Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Arroyo Vista Elementary is White at 56.1% of enrollment, in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Arroyo Vista Elementary?
Arroyo Vista Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical 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 Arroyo Vista Elementary rank among elementary schools in Rancho Santa Margarita?
By Resource Investment Index, Arroyo Vista Elementary ranks #4 of 6 elementary schools in Rancho Santa Margarita, 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 Rancho Santa Margarita on the city page.
Is Arroyo Vista Elementary a good school?
Arroyo Vista Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Capistrano Unified?
Besides Arroyo Vista Elementary, Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students), San Juan Hills High (2,641 students), and Aliso Niguel High (2,563 students). See the Capistrano 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.