Enrollment
487
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Cielo Vista Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cielo Vista Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063386010043
👥 S:T ratio 19
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cielo Vista Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #6 of 6
- elementary schools in Rancho Santa Margarita · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.3:1
- students per teacher
- 48.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Cielo Vista Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cielo Vista Elementary ranks #6 of 6 elementary schools in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.
School address
District: Saddleback Valley Unified · California
NCES ID 063386010043 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cielo Vista Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cielo Vista Elementary
Cielo Vista Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, enrolling 487 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 20.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 48.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 487 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,431 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #559.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (59%) and White (23%) (diversity index 58/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Rancho Santa Margarita's elementary schools, it stands alongside Melinda Heights Elementary (950 students): Cielo Vista Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.3:1 vs 25.7:1).
Saddleback Valley Unified also operates Trabuco Hills High (2,475 students) and El Toro High (1,902 students) alongside Cielo Vista 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 Cielo Vista Elementary compares
Cielo Vista 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 | 20.3:1 | ▼ 6% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.5% | ▼ 13% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 487 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.3:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
487
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20.3:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 37% in California - lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
43.5%
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
$13,733
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
0
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 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 59.3%
White 23.4%
Asian 10.5%
Two or More 6.4%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 59.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.8, Cielo Vista Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Saddleback Valley Unified, which includes Cielo Vista Elementary.
$13,733
Per student
-17%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.6%
State 29.5%
Federal 7.9%
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 Cielo Vista Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trabuco Hills High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| El Toro High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mission Viejo High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Laguna Hills High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cielo Vista Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,475
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,902
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,566
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,317
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,153
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Rancho Santa Margarita
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Melinda Heights Elementary
Standard public school
950 students 25.7:1 students per teacher
Trabuco Mesa Elementary
Standard public school
640 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
Arroyo Vista Elementary
Standard public school
508 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
Las Flores Elementary
Standard public school
328 students 23.4:1 students per teacher
Tijeras Creek Elementary
Standard public school
315 students 22.5:1 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 (~487 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cielo Vista Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cielo Vista Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Saddleback Valley 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 Cielo Vista Elementary
How many students attend Cielo Vista Elementary?
Cielo Vista Elementary has 487 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cielo Vista Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cielo Vista Elementary is 20.3:1, which is 6% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 29% 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 Cielo Vista Elementary?
48.5% of students at Cielo Vista Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cielo Vista Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cielo Vista Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 59.3% of enrollment, in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cielo Vista Elementary?
Cielo Vista Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (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 Cielo Vista Elementary rank among elementary schools in Rancho Santa Margarita?
By Resource Investment Index, Cielo Vista Elementary ranks #6 of 6 elementary schools in Rancho Santa Margarita, 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 Rancho Santa Margarita on the city page.
Is Cielo Vista Elementary a good school?
Cielo Vista Elementary earns 30/100 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 Saddleback Valley Unified?
Besides Cielo Vista Elementary, Saddleback Valley Unified also operates Trabuco Hills High (2,475 students), El Toro High (1,902 students), and Mission Viejo High (1,566 students). See the Saddleback Valley Unified district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Compare schools
Side-by-side comparison tool
Schools in California
All public schools in California
Saddleback Valley Unified
All schools in this district
Schools in Rancho Santa Margarita
All schools in this city
School districts
Ranked by enrollment & spending
Rankings
Best schools by state & type
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.