Enrollment
383
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · La Jolla, CA
Bird Rock Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Bird Rock Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063432005421
👥 S:T ratio 4
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 23
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bird Rock Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of California schools.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in La Jolla · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 23.9:1
- large classes for California
- 8.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Bird Rock Elementary has class sizes larger than 70% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bird Rock Elementary ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in La Jolla, CA.
School address
District: San Diego Unified · California
NCES ID 063432005421 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
8.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
-85% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bird Rock Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bird Rock Elementary
Bird Rock Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in La Jolla, California, enrolling 383 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.9:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 8.6% free-meal eligibility runs 85% below the California average.
With 383 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 590 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #181.
Its student body is led by White (72%) and Two or More (14%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 383 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
12.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among La Jolla's elementary schools, it stands alongside La Jolla Elementary (566 students): Bird Rock Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (23.9:1 vs 27:1).
San Diego Unified also operates Henry High (2,485 students) and Mira Mesa High (2,187 students) alongside Bird Rock 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 Bird Rock Elementary compares
Bird Rock 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 | 23.9:1 | ▲ 11% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 8.6% | ▼ 85% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 383 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.9:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
383
Bigger than 45% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
8.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 85% 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
23.9:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 70% in California - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
12.8%
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
$18,665
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 383 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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 71.5%
Two or More 13.8%
Hispanic or Latino 11.0%
Asian 3.1%
African American 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 71.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.7, Bird Rock 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 San Diego Unified, which includes Bird Rock Elementary.
$18,665
Per student
+13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.5%
State 25.1%
Federal 14.4%
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 Bird Rock Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mira Mesa High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hoover High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Scripps Ranch High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Point Loma High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bird Rock Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,485
- Students per teacher
- 25.9:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 2,187
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,011
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 1,890
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,724
- Students per teacher
- 26.1:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar elementary schools in La Jolla
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~383 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bird Rock Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Bird Rock Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- San Diego 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 Bird Rock Elementary
How many students attend Bird Rock Elementary?
Bird Rock Elementary has 383 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in La Jolla, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bird Rock Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Bird Rock Elementary is 23.9:1, which is 11% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 52% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bird Rock Elementary?
8.6% of students at Bird Rock Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bird Rock Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Bird Rock Elementary is White at 71.5% of enrollment, in La Jolla, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bird Rock Elementary?
Bird Rock Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Bird Rock Elementary rank among elementary schools in La Jolla?
By Resource Investment Index, Bird Rock Elementary ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in La Jolla, 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 La Jolla on the city page.
Is Bird Rock Elementary a good school?
Bird Rock Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% 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 San Diego Unified?
Besides Bird Rock Elementary, San Diego Unified also operates Henry High (2,485 students), Mira Mesa High (2,187 students), and Hoover High (2,011 students). See the San Diego 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.