Enrollment
828
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Murrieta, CA
Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 8/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060002910354
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary earns 8/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #11 of 13
- elementary schools in Murrieta · Resource Index
- 8
- Resource Index · Lower
- 26.7:1
- large classes for California
- 44.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary has class sizes larger than 88% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary ranks #11 of 13 elementary schools in Murrieta, CA.
School address
District: Murrieta Valley Unified · California
NCES ID 060002910354 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary
Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Murrieta, California, enrolling 828 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.7:1 is larger than about 88% of California schools and 24% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 44.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 828 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,082 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,065, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (44%) and White (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 828 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Murrieta's elementary schools, it stands alongside Cole Canyon Elementary (1,038 students): Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (26.7:1 vs 27.3:1).
Murrieta Valley Unified also operates Vista Murrieta High (3,328 students) and Murrieta Valley High (2,104 students) alongside Daniel N. Buchanan 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 Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary compares
Daniel N. Buchanan 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 | 26.7:1 | ▲ 24% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.0% | ▼ 21% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 828 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.7:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
828
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% 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
26.7:1
students per teacher
- 24% above state mean
Top 88% in California - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
38.9%
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
$13,483
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 828 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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 44.0%
White 26.7%
Two or More 12.1%
Asian 10.6%
African American 5.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 44.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.6, Daniel N. Buchanan 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 Daniel N. Buchanan 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 Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vista Murrieta High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Murrieta Valley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Murrieta Mesa High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Thompson Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Daniel N. Buchanan 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.
Cole Canyon Elementary
Standard public school
1,038 students 27.3:1 students per teacher
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
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 (~828 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~26.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Daniel N. Buchanan 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 Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary
How many students attend Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary?
Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary has 828 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Murrieta, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary is 26.7:1, which is 24% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 70% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary?
44.0% of students at Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 44.0% of enrollment, in Murrieta, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary?
Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 8/100 (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 Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary rank among elementary schools in Murrieta?
By Resource Investment Index, Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary ranks #11 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 Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary a good school?
Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary earns 8/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of California schools. It is also more 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 Murrieta Valley Unified?
Besides Daniel N. Buchanan 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.