Enrollment
391
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Spring Valley, CA
Bancroft Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Bancroft Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 11/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062025002425
👥 S:T ratio 2
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bancroft Elementary earns 11/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of California schools.
- #9 of 11
- elementary schools in Spring Valley · Resource Index
- 11
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.4:1
- large classes for California
- 75.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Bancroft Elementary has class sizes larger than 75% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bancroft Elementary ranks #9 of 11 elementary schools in Spring Valley, CA.
School address
District: La Mesa-Spring Valley · California
NCES ID 062025002425 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bancroft Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bancroft Elementary
Bancroft Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Spring Valley, California, enrolling 391 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.4:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 75.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 391 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,844 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,725, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (77%) and African American (8%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 434 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 60.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Spring Valley's elementary schools, it stands alongside Sci Tech Engr Arts and Math Acad at La Presa (800 students): Bancroft Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24.4:1 vs 25:1).
La Mesa-Spring Valley also operates La Mesa Arts Academy (1,059 students) and Parkway Sports and Health Science Academy (897 students) alongside Bancroft 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 Bancroft Elementary compares
Bancroft 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 | 24.4:1 | ▲ 13% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.7% | ▲ 36% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 391 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.4:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
391
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% 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
24.4:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 75% in California - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
60.4%
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
$15,084
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
Counselors0.9 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 31 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.0 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 77.2%
African American 7.9%
Two or More 6.7%
White 3.8%
Asian 3.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 77.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.0, Bancroft Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for La Mesa-Spring Valley, which includes Bancroft Elementary.
$15,084
Per student
-9%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.8%
State 50.7%
Federal 18.5%
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 Bancroft Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Mesa Arts Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Parkway Sports and Health Science Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sci Tech Engr Arts and Math Acad at La Presa | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Murdock Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spring Valley Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bancroft Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,059
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 897
- Students per teacher
- 30.9:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 800
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 608
- Students per teacher
- 27.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 597
- Students per teacher
- 28.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar elementary schools in Spring Valley
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Sci Tech Engr Arts and Math Acad at La Presa
Standard public school
800 students 25:1 students per teacher
Kempton Street Literacy Academy
Standard public school
480 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
College Preparatory Middle
Standard public school
397 students 20.9:1 students per teacher
Sweetwater Springs Elementary
Standard public school
378 students 22.2:1 students per teacher
Highlands Elementary
Standard public school
357 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
La Presa Elementary
Standard public school
346 students 23.1:1 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 (~391 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bancroft Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Bancroft Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- La Mesa-Spring Valley'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 Bancroft Elementary
How many students attend Bancroft Elementary?
Bancroft Elementary has 391 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Spring Valley, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bancroft Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Bancroft Elementary is 24.4:1, which is 13% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 55% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bancroft Elementary?
75.7% of students at Bancroft Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bancroft Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Bancroft Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 77.2% of enrollment, in Spring Valley, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bancroft Elementary?
Bancroft Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 11/100 (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 Bancroft Elementary rank among elementary schools in Spring Valley?
By Resource Investment Index, Bancroft Elementary ranks #9 of 11 elementary schools in Spring Valley, 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 Spring Valley on the city page.
Is Bancroft Elementary a good school?
Bancroft Elementary earns 11/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% 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 La Mesa-Spring Valley?
Besides Bancroft Elementary, La Mesa-Spring Valley also operates La Mesa Arts Academy (1,059 students), Parkway Sports and Health Science Academy (897 students), and Sci Tech Engr Arts and Math Acad at La Presa (800 students). See the La Mesa-Spring Valley 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.