Enrollment
399
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · El Cajon, CA
Dehesa Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Dehesa Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061071001188
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 82
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dehesa Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #5 of 24
- elementary schools in El Cajon · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 79.8:1
- large classes for California
- 34.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Dehesa Elementary has class sizes larger than 99% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dehesa Elementary ranks #5 of 24 elementary schools in El Cajon, CA.
School address
District: Dehesa Elementary · California
NCES ID 061071001188 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
79.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+271% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dehesa Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dehesa Elementary
Dehesa Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in El Cajon, California, enrolling 399 students.
Class loads run heavy: 79.8:1 is larger than about 99% of California schools and 271% 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 34.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 399 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,103 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #283.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (42%) and White (31%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Dehesa Elementary spends $35,562 per pupil, 115% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among El Cajon's elementary schools, it stands alongside Naranca Elementary (985 students): Dehesa Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (79.8:1 vs 30.8:1).
Dehesa Elementary operates only this one school, so Dehesa Elementary has no district-mates to compare against locally.
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 Dehesa Elementary compares
Dehesa 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 | 79.8:1 | ▲ 271% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.5% | ▼ 38% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 399 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
79.8:1
Leaner classes than 0% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
399
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 38% 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
79.8:1
students per teacher
- 271% above state mean
Top 99% in California - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
7.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$35,562
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 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
Hispanic or Latino 42.2%
White 31.2%
Two or More 19.8%
Asian 2.3%
African American 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 42.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.4, Dehesa Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dehesa Elementary, which includes Dehesa Elementary.
$35,562
Per student
+115%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+114%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.4%
State 33.9%
Federal 10.6%
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.
Similar elementary schools in El Cajon
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Naranca Elementary
Standard public school
985 students 30.8:1 students per teacher
Lexington Elementary
Standard public school
878 students 27.4:1 students per teacher
Johnson Elementary
Standard public school
766 students 28.4:1 students per teacher
Chase Avenue Elementary
Standard public school
757 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Flying Hills School of Arts
Standard public school
742 students 26.5:1 students per teacher
Magnolia Elementary
Standard public school
703 students 29.3:1 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 (~399 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dehesa Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Dehesa Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Dehesa 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 Dehesa Elementary
How many students attend Dehesa Elementary?
Dehesa Elementary has 399 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in El Cajon, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dehesa Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Dehesa Elementary is 79.8:1, which is 271% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 408% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dehesa Elementary?
34.5% of students at Dehesa Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dehesa Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Dehesa Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 42.2% of enrollment, in El Cajon, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dehesa Elementary?
Dehesa Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical 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 Dehesa Elementary rank among elementary schools in El Cajon?
By Resource Investment Index, Dehesa Elementary ranks #5 of 24 elementary schools in El Cajon, 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 El Cajon on the city page.
Is Dehesa Elementary a good school?
Dehesa Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% 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 Dehesa Elementary?
None reported; Dehesa Elementary operates only Dehesa Elementary as a public school district in NCES's records.
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.