Enrollment
481
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Santa Cruz, CA
De Laveaga Elementary
Federal NCES profile for De Laveaga Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063559006061
👥 S:T ratio 8
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 4
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
De Laveaga Elementary earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #9 of 14
- elementary schools in Santa Cruz · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.9:1
- students per teacher
- 26.0%
- free-lunch eligible
De Laveaga Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, De Laveaga Elementary ranks #9 of 14 elementary schools in Santa Cruz, CA.
School address
District: Santa Cruz City Elementary · California
NCES ID 063559006061 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How De Laveaga Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at De Laveaga Elementary
De Laveaga Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Santa Cruz, California, enrolling 481 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 22.9:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 481 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,260 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,050, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (46%) and Hispanic or Latino (42%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 481 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Santa Cruz's elementary schools, it stands alongside Brook Knoll Elementary (498 students): De Laveaga Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.9:1 vs 24.9:1).
Santa Cruz City Elementary also operates Westlake Elementary (453 students) and Bay View Elementary (394 students) alongside De Laveaga 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 De Laveaga Elementary compares
De Laveaga 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 | 22.9:1 | ▲ 7% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.0% | ▼ 53% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 481 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.9:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
481
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 53% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
22.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 61% in California - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
19.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 481 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
White 45.9%
Hispanic or Latino 41.6%
Two or More 7.1%
Asian 4.0%
African American 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 45.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.9, De Laveaga Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
How De Laveaga Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westlake Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bay View Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gault Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Santa Cruz City Elementary Alternative Education-Monarch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to De Laveaga Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 453
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 394
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 314
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 114
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary schools in Santa Cruz
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Brook Knoll Elementary
Standard public school
498 students 24.9:1 students per teacher
Westlake Elementary
Standard public school
453 students 21.6:1 students per teacher
Bay View Elementary
Standard public school
394 students 21.9:1 students per teacher
Live Oak Elementary
Standard public school
362 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Del Mar Elementary
Standard public school
322 students 21.5:1 students per teacher
Gault Elementary
Standard public school
314 students 22.4:1 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 (~481 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on De Laveaga Elementary's federal record.
- Compare De Laveaga Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Santa Cruz City Elementary'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 De Laveaga Elementary
How many students attend De Laveaga Elementary?
De Laveaga Elementary has 481 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Santa Cruz, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at De Laveaga Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at De Laveaga Elementary is 22.9:1, which is 7% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 46% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at De Laveaga Elementary?
26.0% of students at De Laveaga Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of De Laveaga Elementary?
The largest demographic group at De Laveaga Elementary is White at 45.9% of enrollment, in Santa Cruz, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for De Laveaga Elementary?
De Laveaga Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (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 De Laveaga Elementary rank among elementary schools in Santa Cruz?
By Resource Investment Index, De Laveaga Elementary ranks #9 of 14 elementary schools in Santa Cruz, 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 Santa Cruz on the city page.
Is De Laveaga Elementary a good school?
De Laveaga Elementary earns 23/100 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 Santa Cruz City Elementary?
Besides De Laveaga Elementary, Santa Cruz City Elementary also operates Westlake Elementary (453 students), Bay View Elementary (394 students), and Gault Elementary (314 students). See the Santa Cruz City Elementary 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.