Enrollment
528
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Luis Obispo, CA
C L Smith Elementary
Federal NCES profile for C L Smith Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 16/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063480005882
👥 S:T ratio 4
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
C L Smith Elementary earns 16/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of California schools.
- #7 of 8
- elementary schools in San Luis Obispo · Resource Index
- 16
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24:1
- large classes for California
- 43.0%
- free-lunch eligible
C L Smith Elementary has class sizes larger than 71% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, C L Smith Elementary ranks #7 of 8 elementary schools in San Luis Obispo, CA.
School address
District: San Luis Coastal Unified · California
NCES ID 063480005882 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How C L Smith Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at C L Smith Elementary
C L Smith Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in San Luis Obispo, California, enrolling 528 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 43.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 528 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 1,398 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,200, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (46%) and Hispanic or Latino (42%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 528 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among San Luis Obispo's elementary schools, it stands alongside Los Ranchos Elementary (521 students): C L Smith Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24:1 vs 27.4:1).
San Luis Coastal Unified also operates San Luis Obispo High (1,678 students) and Laguna Middle (780 students) alongside C L Smith 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 C L Smith Elementary compares
C L Smith 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 | 24:1 | ▲ 12% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.0% | ▼ 23% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 528 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
528
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% 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
24:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 71% in California - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
28.0%
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
$16,712
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 528 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.5 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 45.6%
Hispanic or Latino 41.5%
Two or More 6.4%
Asian 4.4%
African American 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 45.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.3, C L Smith Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Luis Coastal Unified, which includes C L Smith Elementary.
$16,712
Per student
+1%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 77.4%
State 16.0%
Federal 6.7%
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 C L Smith Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Luis Obispo High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Laguna Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Morro Bay High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Los Ranchos Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Los Osos Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to C L Smith Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,678
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 780
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 751
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 521
- Students per teacher
- 27.4:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 494
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
Similar elementary schools in San Luis Obispo
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Los Ranchos Elementary
Standard public school
521 students 27.4:1 students per teacher
Pacheco Elementary
Standard public school
488 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
Hawthorne Elementary
Standard public school
437 students 25.7:1 students per teacher
Sinsheimer Elementary
Standard public school
401 students 25.1:1 students per teacher
Bishop's Peak Elementary
Standard public school
358 students 22.4:1 students per teacher
Teach Elementary
Standard public school
193 students 32.2:1 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 (~528 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on C L Smith Elementary's federal record.
- Compare C L Smith Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- San Luis Coastal 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 C L Smith Elementary
How many students attend C L Smith Elementary?
C L Smith Elementary has 528 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Luis Obispo, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at C L Smith Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at C L Smith Elementary is 24:1, which is 12% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 53% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at C L Smith Elementary?
43.0% of students at C L Smith Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of C L Smith Elementary?
The largest demographic group at C L Smith Elementary is White at 45.6% of enrollment, in San Luis Obispo, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for C L Smith Elementary?
C L Smith Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 16/100 (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 C L Smith Elementary rank among elementary schools in San Luis Obispo?
By Resource Investment Index, C L Smith Elementary ranks #7 of 8 elementary schools in San Luis Obispo, 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 San Luis Obispo on the city page.
Is C L Smith Elementary a good school?
C L Smith Elementary earns 16/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% 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 Luis Coastal Unified?
Besides C L Smith Elementary, San Luis Coastal Unified also operates San Luis Obispo High (1,678 students), Laguna Middle (780 students), and Morro Bay High (751 students). See the San Luis Coastal 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.