Enrollment
1,038
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Murrieta, CA
Cole Canyon Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cole Canyon Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 13/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060002908565
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cole Canyon Elementary earns 13/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of California schools.
- #4 of 13
- elementary schools in Murrieta · Resource Index
- 13
- Resource Index · Lower
- 27.3:1
- large classes for California
- 23.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Cole Canyon Elementary has class sizes larger than 90% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cole Canyon Elementary ranks #4 of 13 elementary schools in Murrieta, CA.
School address
District: Murrieta Valley Unified · California
NCES ID 060002908565 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
-58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cole Canyon Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cole Canyon Elementary
Cole Canyon Elementary is a large elementary school in Murrieta, California, enrolling 1,038 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.3:1 is larger than about 90% of California schools and 27% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 23.1% free-meal eligibility runs 58% below the California average.
Enrollment of 1,038 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 722 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #699, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (35%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1038 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Murrieta's elementary schools, it stands alongside Lisa J. Mails Elementary (1,006 students): Cole Canyon Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (27.3:1 vs 27.2:1).
Murrieta Valley Unified also operates Vista Murrieta High (3,328 students) and Murrieta Valley High (2,104 students) alongside Cole Canyon 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 Cole Canyon Elementary compares
Cole Canyon 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 | 27.3:1 | ▲ 27% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.1% | ▼ 58% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,038 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.3:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,038
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 58% 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
27.3:1
students per teacher
- 27% above state mean
Top 90% in California - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
30.7%
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
$13,483
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 1038 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 48.4%
Hispanic or Latino 34.7%
Two or More 9.8%
Asian 5.6%
African American 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 48.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.2, Cole Canyon Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Murrieta Valley Unified, which includes Cole Canyon Elementary.
$13,483
Per student
-18%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.5%
State 57.2%
Federal 9.3%
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 Cole Canyon Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vista Murrieta High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Murrieta Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Murrieta Mesa High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Thompson Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cole Canyon Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,328
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 2,104
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 2,066
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 1,565
- Students per teacher
- 27.5:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 1,451
- Students per teacher
- 27.9:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
Similar elementary schools in Murrieta
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Lisa J. Mails Elementary
Standard public school
1,006 students 27.2:1 students per teacher
Murrieta Elementary
Standard public school
893 students 26.3:1 students per teacher
Alta Murrieta Elementary
Standard public school
849 students 25:1 students per teacher
Antelope Hills Elementary
Standard public school
839 students 27.1:1 students per teacher
Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary
Standard public school
828 students 26.7:1 students per teacher
Oak Meadows Elementary
Standard public school
818 students 22.1:1 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 (~1,038 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~27.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cole Canyon Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cole Canyon Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Murrieta 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 Cole Canyon Elementary
How many students attend Cole Canyon Elementary?
Cole Canyon Elementary has 1,038 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Murrieta, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cole Canyon Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cole Canyon Elementary is 27.3:1, which is 27% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 74% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cole Canyon Elementary?
23.1% of students at Cole Canyon Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cole Canyon Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cole Canyon Elementary is White at 48.4% of enrollment, in Murrieta, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cole Canyon Elementary?
Cole Canyon Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 13/100 (lower 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 Cole Canyon Elementary rank among elementary schools in Murrieta?
By Resource Investment Index, Cole Canyon Elementary ranks #4 of 13 elementary schools in Murrieta, 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 Murrieta on the city page.
Is Cole Canyon Elementary a good school?
Cole Canyon Elementary earns 13/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of 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 Murrieta Valley Unified?
Besides Cole Canyon Elementary, Murrieta Valley Unified also operates Vista Murrieta High (3,328 students), Murrieta Valley High (2,104 students), and Murrieta Mesa High (2,066 students). See the Murrieta Valley 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.