Enrollment
21
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Santa Margarita, CA
Carrisa Plains Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Carrisa Plains Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060330000249
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carrisa Plains Elementary earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the smallest schools in California.
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21:1
- students per teacher
- 65.0%
- free-lunch eligible
- 21
- students enrolled
Carrisa Plains Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Atascadero Unified · California
NCES ID 060330000249 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
1.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carrisa Plains Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carrisa Plains Elementary
Carrisa Plains Elementary is a higher-need, small elementary school in Santa Margarita, California, enrolling 21 students.
At 21:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 65.0% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 97% of California schools, with 21 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 107 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #97, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (52%) and White (48%) (diversity index 50/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Atascadero Unified spends $13,091 per pupil, 21% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Santa Margarita's elementary schools, it stands alongside Santa Margarita Elementary (297 students): Carrisa Plains Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21:1 vs 27:1).
Atascadero Unified also operates Atascadero High (1,157 students) and Atascadero Middle (845 students) alongside Carrisa Plains 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 Carrisa Plains Elementary compares
Carrisa Plains 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 | 21:1 | ▼ 2% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.0% | ▲ 17% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 21 | top 97% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
21
Bigger than 3% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
21:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 43% in California - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
42.9%
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
$13,091
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 52.4%
White 47.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 52.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.9, Carrisa Plains Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Atascadero Unified, which includes Carrisa Plains Elementary.
$13,091
Per student
-21%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 63.5%
State 30.2%
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 Carrisa Plains Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atascadero High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Atascadero Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| San Benito Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Monterey Road Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Santa Rosa Road Academic Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carrisa Plains Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,157
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 845
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 403
- Students per teacher
- 26.9:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 382
- Students per teacher
- 27.3:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 377
- Students per teacher
- 25.1:1
- Resource Index
- 7/100
Similar elementary schools in Santa Margarita
1 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 (~21 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carrisa Plains Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Carrisa Plains Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Atascadero 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 Carrisa Plains Elementary
How many students attend Carrisa Plains Elementary?
Carrisa Plains Elementary has 21 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Santa Margarita, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carrisa Plains Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Carrisa Plains Elementary is 21:1, which is 2% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 34% 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 Carrisa Plains Elementary?
65.0% of students at Carrisa Plains Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carrisa Plains Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Carrisa Plains Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 52.4% of enrollment, in Santa Margarita, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carrisa Plains Elementary?
Carrisa Plains Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
Is Carrisa Plains Elementary a good school?
Carrisa Plains Elementary earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the smallest schools in California. 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 Atascadero Unified?
Besides Carrisa Plains Elementary, Atascadero Unified also operates Atascadero High (1,157 students), Atascadero Middle (845 students), and San Benito Elementary (403 students). See the Atascadero 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.