Enrollment
317
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Diego, CA
Carmel Creek Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Carmel Creek Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063699003955
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 73
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carmel Creek Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #5 of 179
- elementary schools in San Diego · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.7:1
- small classes for California
- 6.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Carmel Creek Elementary has class sizes smaller than 85% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carmel Creek Elementary ranks #5 of 179 elementary schools in San Diego, CA.
School address
District: Solana Beach Elementary · California
NCES ID 063699003955 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
6.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-88% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carmel Creek Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carmel Creek Elementary
Carmel Creek Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in San Diego, California, enrolling 317 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 16.7:1, Carmel Creek Elementary is leaner than roughly 85% of California schools and 22% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 6.4% free-meal eligibility runs 88% below the California average.
Enrollment of 317 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 324 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #88.
Its student body is led by Asian (45%) and White (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 317 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
11.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Solana Beach Elementary spends $21,403 per pupil, 30% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among San Diego's elementary schools, it stands alongside Albert Einstein Academies (1,448 students): Carmel Creek Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.7:1 vs 24.1:1).
Solana Beach Elementary also operates Solana Ranch Elementary (482 students) and Skyline Elementary (410 students) alongside Carmel Creek 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 Carmel Creek Elementary compares
Carmel Creek 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 | 16.7:1 | ▼ 22% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 6.4% | ▼ 88% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 317 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.7:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
317
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
6.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 88% 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
16.7:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 15% in California - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
11.0%
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
$21,403
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 317 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 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
Asian 44.5%
White 29.3%
Two or More 13.6%
Hispanic or Latino 12.0%
African American 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Asian at 44.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.3, Carmel Creek Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Solana Beach Elementary, which includes Carmel Creek Elementary.
$21,403
Per student
+30%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 82.0%
State 11.7%
Federal 6.3%
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 Carmel Creek Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solana Ranch Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Skyline Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Solana Highlands Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Solana Pacific Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Solana Santa Fe Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carmel Creek Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 482
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 410
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 384
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 375
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 334
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar elementary schools in San Diego
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Albert Einstein Academies
Standard public school
1,448 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Design 39 Campus
Standard public school
1,216 students 27:1 students per teacher
Nestor Language Academy Charter
Standard public school
1,079 students 25.7:1 students per teacher
Ocean View Hills
Standard public school
1,020 students 23.7:1 students per teacher
Language Academy
Standard public school
1,015 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Del Sur Elementary
Standard public school
891 students 24.1:1 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 (~317 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carmel Creek Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Carmel Creek Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Solana Beach 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 Carmel Creek Elementary
How many students attend Carmel Creek Elementary?
Carmel Creek Elementary has 317 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Diego, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carmel Creek Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Carmel Creek Elementary is 16.7:1, which is 22% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 6% 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 Carmel Creek Elementary?
6.4% of students at Carmel Creek Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carmel Creek Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Carmel Creek Elementary is Asian at 44.5% of enrollment, in San Diego, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carmel Creek Elementary?
Carmel Creek Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Carmel Creek Elementary rank among elementary schools in San Diego?
By Resource Investment Index, Carmel Creek Elementary ranks #5 of 179 elementary schools in San Diego, 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 Diego on the city page.
Is Carmel Creek Elementary a good school?
Carmel Creek Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Solana Beach Elementary?
Besides Carmel Creek Elementary, Solana Beach Elementary also operates Solana Ranch Elementary (482 students), Skyline Elementary (410 students), and Solana Highlands Elementary (384 students). See the Solana Beach 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.