Enrollment
313
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Tustin, CA
Barbara Benson Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Barbara Benson Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 064015000774
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Barbara Benson Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #3 of 10
- elementary schools in Tustin · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.9:1
- students per teacher
- 48.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Barbara Benson Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Barbara Benson Elementary ranks #3 of 10 elementary schools in Tustin, CA.
School address
District: Tustin Unified · California
NCES ID 064015000774 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
-12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Barbara Benson Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Barbara Benson Elementary
Barbara Benson Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Tustin, California, enrolling 313 students.
At 20.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 48.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 313 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 930 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #265.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (71%) and White (14%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 313 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Tustin's elementary schools, it stands alongside Sycamore Magnet Academy (1,085 students): Barbara Benson Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.9:1 vs 22.6:1).
Tustin Unified also operates Arnold O. Beckman High (2,776 students) and Foothill High (2,126 students) alongside Barbara Benson 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 Barbara Benson Elementary compares
Barbara Benson 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 | 20.9:1 | ▼ 3% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.6% | ▼ 12% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 313 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.9:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
313
Bigger than 34% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% 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
20.9:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 42% in California - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
32.9%
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
$13,372
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 313 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 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 70.9%
White 13.7%
Asian 8.3%
Two or More 4.8%
African American 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.0%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 70.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.9, Barbara Benson Elementary is about as mixed as the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tustin Unified, which includes Barbara Benson Elementary.
$13,372
Per student
-19%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.9%
State 38.0%
Federal 8.1%
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 Barbara Benson Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arnold O. Beckman High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Foothill High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tustin High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Orchard Hills | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sycamore Magnet Academy | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Barbara Benson Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,776
- Students per teacher
- 26.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,126
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,627
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,373
- Students per teacher
- 29.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,085
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
Similar elementary schools in Tustin
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Sycamore Magnet Academy
Standard public school
1,085 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Heritage Elementary
Standard public school
567 students 28.4:1 students per teacher
Tustin Ranch Elementary
Standard public school
520 students 26:1 students per teacher
Robert Heideman Elementary
Standard public school
502 students 27.9:1 students per teacher
W. R. Nelson Elementary
Standard public school
460 students 24.2:1 students per teacher
Helen Estock Elementary
Standard public school
456 students 25.3:1 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 (~313 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Barbara Benson Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Barbara Benson Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Tustin 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 Barbara Benson Elementary
How many students attend Barbara Benson Elementary?
Barbara Benson Elementary has 313 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Tustin, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Barbara Benson Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Barbara Benson Elementary is 20.9:1, which is 3% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 33% higher 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 Barbara Benson Elementary?
48.6% of students at Barbara Benson Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Barbara Benson Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Barbara Benson Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 70.9% of enrollment, in Tustin, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Barbara Benson Elementary?
Barbara Benson Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Barbara Benson Elementary rank among elementary schools in Tustin?
By Resource Investment Index, Barbara Benson Elementary ranks #3 of 10 elementary schools in Tustin, 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 Tustin on the city page.
Is Barbara Benson Elementary a good school?
Barbara Benson Elementary earns 35/100 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 Tustin Unified?
Besides Barbara Benson Elementary, Tustin Unified also operates Arnold O. Beckman High (2,776 students), Foothill High (2,126 students), and Tustin High (1,627 students). See the Tustin 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.