Enrollment
575
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Escondido, CA
Central Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061288001451
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elementary earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #18 of 23
- elementary schools in Escondido · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.2:1
- small classes for California
- 81.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elementary has class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #18 of 23 elementary schools in Escondido, CA.
School address
District: Escondido Union · California
NCES ID 061288001451 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
+46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Elementary
Central Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Escondido, California, enrolling 575 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 81.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 575 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 2,038 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #509.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (93% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 14/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Escondido's elementary schools, it stands alongside Classical Academy (1,581 students): Central Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.2:1 vs 29.3:1).
Escondido Union also operates Bear Valley Middle (923 students) and Mission Middle (855 students) alongside Central 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 Central Elementary compares
Central 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 | 19.2:1 | ▼ 11% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.3% | ▲ 46% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 575 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.2:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
575
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
81.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 46% 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
19.2:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 29% in California - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
50.8%
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
$17,027
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 92.7%
White 4.0%
Two or More 1.9%
Asian 0.7%
African American 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 92.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 13.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 13.9, Central Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Escondido Union, which includes Central Elementary.
$17,027
Per student
+3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.4%
State 52.9%
Federal 14.7%
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 Central Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Valley Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mission Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Del Dios Academy of Arts and Sciences | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rincon Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hidden Valley Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 923
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 855
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 788
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 772
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 733
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar elementary schools in Escondido
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Classical Academy
Standard public school
1,581 students 29.3:1 students per teacher
Heritage K-8 Charter
Standard public school
1,345 students 22:1 students per teacher
Community Montessori
Standard public school
795 students 27.4:1 students per teacher
L. R. Green Elementary
Standard public school
717 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Oak Hill Elementary
Standard public school
679 students 21.2:1 students per teacher
Bernardo Elementary
Standard public school
664 students 20.1:1 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 (~575 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Escondido Union'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 Central Elementary
How many students attend Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has 575 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Escondido, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary is 19.2:1, which is 11% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 22% 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 Central Elementary?
81.3% of students at Central Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Central Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 92.7% of enrollment, in Escondido, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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).
How does Central Elementary rank among elementary schools in Escondido?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #18 of 23 elementary schools in Escondido, 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 Escondido on the city page.
Is Central Elementary a good school?
Central Elementary earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools. It is also less 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 Escondido Union?
Besides Central Elementary, Escondido Union also operates Bear Valley Middle (923 students), Mission Middle (855 students), and Del Dios Academy of Arts and Sciences (788 students). See the Escondido Union 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.