Enrollment
471
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Carpinteria, CA
Canalino Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Canalino Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060756000725
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 6
📋 Attendance 24
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Canalino Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% of California schools.
- #3 of 3
- elementary schools in Carpinteria · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.1:1
- small classes for California
- 50.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Canalino Elementary has class sizes smaller than 78% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Canalino Elementary ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Carpinteria, CA.
School address
District: Carpinteria Unified · California
NCES ID 060756000725 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Canalino Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Canalino Elementary
Canalino Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Carpinteria, California, enrolling 471 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 50.8% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 471 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,494 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #478.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (63%) and White (33%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 471 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Carpinteria's elementary schools, it stands alongside Aliso Elementary (315 students): Canalino Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.1:1 vs 17.5:1).
Carpinteria Unified also operates Carpinteria Senior High (593 students) and Carpinteria Middle (437 students) alongside Canalino 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 Canalino Elementary compares
Canalino 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 | 18.1:1 | ▼ 16% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.8% | ▼ 8% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 471 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.1:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
471
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% 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
18.1:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 22% in California - lower ratio than 78% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
30.4%
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
$17,521
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 471 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
Hispanic or Latino 63.2%
White 33.4%
Two or More 2.6%
Asian 0.4%
African American 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 63.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.8, Canalino Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Carpinteria Unified, which includes Canalino Elementary.
$17,521
Per student
+6%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 72.9%
State 18.7%
Federal 8.4%
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 Canalino Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carpinteria Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Carpinteria Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aliso Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Summerland Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Carpinteria Family | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Canalino Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 593
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 437
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 315
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 51
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 45
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar elementary schools in Carpinteria
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 (~471 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Canalino Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Canalino Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Carpinteria 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 Canalino Elementary
How many students attend Canalino Elementary?
Canalino Elementary has 471 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Carpinteria, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Canalino Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Canalino Elementary is 18.1:1, which is 16% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 15% 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 Canalino Elementary?
50.8% of students at Canalino Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Canalino Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Canalino Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 63.2% of enrollment, in Carpinteria, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Canalino Elementary?
Canalino Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Canalino Elementary rank among elementary schools in Carpinteria?
By Resource Investment Index, Canalino Elementary ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Carpinteria, 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 Carpinteria on the city page.
Is Canalino Elementary a good school?
Canalino Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% 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 Carpinteria Unified?
Besides Canalino Elementary, Carpinteria Unified also operates Carpinteria Senior High (593 students), Carpinteria Middle (437 students), and Aliso Elementary (315 students). See the Carpinteria 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.