Enrollment
469
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Modesto, CA
Capistrano Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Capistrano Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 9/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061269001429
👥 S:T ratio 1
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 6
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Capistrano Elementary earns 9/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of California schools.
- #52 of 53
- elementary schools in Modesto · Resource Index
- 9
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.7:1
- large classes for California
- 75.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Capistrano Elementary has class sizes larger than 77% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Capistrano Elementary ranks #52 of 53 elementary schools in Modesto, CA.
School address
District: Empire Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 061269001429 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Capistrano Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Capistrano Elementary
Capistrano Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Modesto, California, enrolling 469 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.7:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 75.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 469 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 2,146 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #2,087, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (76%) and White (10%) (diversity index 40/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 469 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 64.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Modesto's elementary schools, it stands alongside Great Valley Academy (972 students): Capistrano Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24.7:1 vs 27.8:1).
Empire Union Elementary also operates Norman N. Glick Middle (602 students) and Christine Sipherd Elementary (505 students) alongside Capistrano 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 Capistrano Elementary compares
Capistrano 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 | 24.7:1 | ▲ 15% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.7% | ▲ 36% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 469 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.7:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
469
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
24.7:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 77% in California - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
64.4%
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
$15,755
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 469 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 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 76.3%
White 9.6%
Two or More 4.9%
African American 4.7%
Asian 4.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 76.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.2, Capistrano Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Empire Union Elementary, which includes Capistrano Elementary.
$15,755
Per student
-5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.3%
State 58.5%
Federal 11.2%
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 Capistrano Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norman N. Glick Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Christine Sipherd Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bernard L. Hughes Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Empire Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Alice N. Stroud Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Capistrano Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 602
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 505
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 7/100
- Enrollment
- 455
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 384
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 379
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
Similar elementary schools in Modesto
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Great Valley Academy
Standard public school
972 students 27.8:1 students per teacher
Great Valley Academy - Salida
Standard public school
927 students 27.3:1 students per teacher
Bret Harte Elementary
Standard public school
867 students 23.4:1 students per teacher
Fairview Elementary
Standard public school
786 students 27.1:1 students per teacher
Franklin Elementary
Standard public school
777 students 25.1:1 students per teacher
Freedom Elementary
Standard public school
713 students 25.5:1 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 (~469 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Capistrano Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Capistrano Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Empire Union Elementary'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 Capistrano Elementary
How many students attend Capistrano Elementary?
Capistrano Elementary has 469 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Modesto, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Capistrano Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Capistrano Elementary is 24.7:1, which is 15% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 57% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Capistrano Elementary?
75.7% of students at Capistrano Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Capistrano Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Capistrano Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 76.3% of enrollment, in Modesto, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Capistrano Elementary?
Capistrano Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 9/100 (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 Capistrano Elementary rank among elementary schools in Modesto?
By Resource Investment Index, Capistrano Elementary ranks #52 of 53 elementary schools in Modesto, 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 Modesto on the city page.
Is Capistrano Elementary a good school?
Capistrano Elementary earns 9/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% 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 Empire Union Elementary?
Besides Capistrano Elementary, Empire Union Elementary also operates Norman N. Glick Middle (602 students), Christine Sipherd Elementary (505 students), and Bernard L. Hughes Elementary (455 students). See the Empire Union Elementary 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.