Enrollment
482
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Mission Viejo, CA
Castille Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Castille Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060744000686
👥 S:T ratio 12
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Castille Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #2 of 12
- elementary schools in Mission Viejo · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.9:1
- students per teacher
- 15.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Castille Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Castille Elementary ranks #2 of 12 elementary schools in Mission Viejo, CA.
School address
District: Capistrano Unified · California
NCES ID 060744000686 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
-72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Castille Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Castille Elementary
Castille Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Mission Viejo, California, enrolling 482 students.
At 21.9:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 15.8% free-meal eligibility runs 72% below the California average.
With 482 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,123 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #167.
Its student body is led by White (53%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 64/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Mission Viejo's elementary schools, it stands alongside Oxford Preparatory Academy - South Orange County (704 students): Castille Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.9:1 vs 20.1:1).
Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students) and San Juan Hills High (2,641 students) alongside Castille 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 Castille Elementary compares
Castille 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 | 21.9:1 | ▲ 2% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.8% | ▼ 72% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 482 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.9:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
482
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 72% 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
21.9:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 52% in California - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
19.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,421
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.5 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 52.5%
Hispanic or Latino 20.1%
Two or More 18.5%
Asian 8.1%
African American 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 52.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.3, Castille Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Capistrano Unified, which includes Castille Elementary.
$14,421
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 61.2%
State 31.0%
Federal 7.7%
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 Castille Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Clemente High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| San Juan Hills High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Aliso Niguel High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tesoro High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Capistrano Valley High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Castille Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,740
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,641
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,563
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,030
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,991
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Mission Viejo
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Oxford Preparatory Academy - South Orange County
Standard public school
704 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
Bathgate Elementary
Standard public school
570 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
De Portola Elementary
Standard public school
540 students 25.7:1 students per teacher
Viejo Elementary
Standard public school
447 students 23.5:1 students per teacher
Montevideo Elementary
Standard public school
444 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Philip J. Reilly Elementary
Standard public school
421 students 21.1:1 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 (~482 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Castille Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Castille Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Capistrano 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 Castille Elementary
How many students attend Castille Elementary?
Castille Elementary has 482 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Mission Viejo, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Castille Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Castille Elementary is 21.9:1, which is 2% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 39% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Castille Elementary?
15.8% of students at Castille Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Castille Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Castille Elementary is White at 52.5% of enrollment, in Mission Viejo, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Castille Elementary?
Castille Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical 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).
How does Castille Elementary rank among elementary schools in Mission Viejo?
By Resource Investment Index, Castille Elementary ranks #2 of 12 elementary schools in Mission Viejo, 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 Mission Viejo on the city page.
Is Castille Elementary a good school?
Castille Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Capistrano Unified?
Besides Castille Elementary, Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students), San Juan Hills High (2,641 students), and Aliso Niguel High (2,563 students). See the Capistrano 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.