Enrollment
498
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Santa Cruz, CA
Brook Knoll Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Brook Knoll Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060004306172
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 54
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Brook Knoll Elementary earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of California schools.
- #12 of 14
- elementary schools in Santa Cruz · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.9:1
- large classes for California
- 11.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Brook Knoll Elementary has class sizes larger than 79% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Brook Knoll Elementary ranks #12 of 14 elementary schools in Santa Cruz, CA.
School address
District: Scotts Valley Unified · California
NCES ID 060004306172 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-79% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Brook Knoll Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Brook Knoll Elementary
Brook Knoll Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Santa Cruz, California, enrolling 498 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.9:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 11.9% free-meal eligibility runs 79% below the California average.
With 498 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 952 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #901, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 498 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Scotts Valley Unified spends $12,337 per pupil, 25% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Santa Cruz's elementary schools, it stands alongside De Laveaga Elementary (481 students): Brook Knoll Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.9:1 vs 22.9:1).
Scotts Valley Unified also operates Scotts Valley High (611 students) and Vine Hill Elementary (549 students) alongside Brook Knoll 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 Brook Knoll Elementary compares
Brook Knoll 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 | 24.9:1 | ▲ 16% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.9% | ▼ 79% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 498 | top 46% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.9:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
498
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 79% 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
24.9:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 79% in California - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
18.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,337
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 498 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
White 67.2%
Hispanic or Latino 15.2%
Two or More 10.1%
Asian 6.3%
African American 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 67.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.1, Brook Knoll Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Scotts Valley Unified, which includes Brook Knoll Elementary.
$12,337
Per student
-25%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 61.0%
State 32.0%
Federal 6.9%
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 Brook Knoll Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotts Valley High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Vine Hill Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Scotts Valley Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Brook Knoll Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 611
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 549
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 463
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar elementary schools in Santa Cruz
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
De Laveaga Elementary
Standard public school
481 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
Westlake Elementary
Standard public school
453 students 21.6:1 students per teacher
Bay View Elementary
Standard public school
394 students 21.9:1 students per teacher
Live Oak Elementary
Standard public school
362 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Del Mar Elementary
Standard public school
322 students 21.5:1 students per teacher
Gault Elementary
Standard public school
314 students 22.4:1 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 (~498 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Brook Knoll Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Brook Knoll Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Scotts Valley 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 Brook Knoll Elementary
How many students attend Brook Knoll Elementary?
Brook Knoll Elementary has 498 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Santa Cruz, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Brook Knoll Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Brook Knoll Elementary is 24.9:1, which is 16% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 59% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Brook Knoll Elementary?
11.9% of students at Brook Knoll Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Brook Knoll Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Brook Knoll Elementary is White at 67.2% of enrollment, in Santa Cruz, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Brook Knoll Elementary?
Brook Knoll Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (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 Brook Knoll Elementary rank among elementary schools in Santa Cruz?
By Resource Investment Index, Brook Knoll Elementary ranks #12 of 14 elementary schools in Santa Cruz, 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 Cruz on the city page.
Is Brook Knoll Elementary a good school?
Brook Knoll Elementary earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% 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 Scotts Valley Unified?
Besides Brook Knoll Elementary, Scotts Valley Unified also operates Scotts Valley High (611 students), Vine Hill Elementary (549 students), and Scotts Valley Middle (463 students). See the Scotts Valley 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.