Enrollment
322
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Santa Cruz, CA
Del Mar Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Del Mar Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062199007435
👥 S:T ratio 14
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Del Mar Elementary earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #11 of 14
- elementary schools in Santa Cruz · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.5:1
- students per teacher
- 47.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Del Mar Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Del Mar Elementary ranks #11 of 14 elementary schools in Santa Cruz, CA.
School address
District: Live Oak Elementary · California
NCES ID 062199007435 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Del Mar Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Del Mar Elementary
Del Mar Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Santa Cruz, California, enrolling 322 students.
At 21.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 47.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 322 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 962 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #703, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (59%) and White (34%) (diversity index 54/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Santa Cruz's elementary schools, it stands alongside Brook Knoll Elementary (498 students): Del Mar Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.5:1 vs 24.9:1).
Live Oak Elementary also operates Shoreline Middle (478 students) and Live Oak Elementary (362 students) alongside Del Mar 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 Del Mar Elementary compares
Del Mar 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 | 21.5:1 | ▼ 0% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.7% | ▼ 14% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 322 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.5:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
322
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% 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
21.5:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 48% in California - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
31.7%
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
$16,067
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 58.7%
White 33.9%
Two or More 2.8%
African American 2.2%
Asian 2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 58.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.9, Del Mar Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Live Oak Elementary, which includes Del Mar Elementary.
$16,067
Per student
-3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.7%
State 50.3%
Federal 13.0%
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 Del Mar Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shoreline Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Live Oak Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Green Acres Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tierra Pacifica Charter | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ocean Alternative Education Center | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Del Mar Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 478
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 362
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 262
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 166
- Students per teacher
- 27.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 76
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
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
De Laveaga Elementary
Standard public school
481 students 22.9:1 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
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 (~322 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Del Mar Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Del Mar Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Live Oak 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 Del Mar Elementary
How many students attend Del Mar Elementary?
Del Mar Elementary has 322 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Santa Cruz, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Del Mar Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Del Mar Elementary is 21.5:1, which is 0% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 37% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Del Mar Elementary?
47.7% of students at Del Mar Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Del Mar Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Del Mar Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 58.7% of enrollment, in Santa Cruz, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Del Mar Elementary?
Del Mar Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (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 Del Mar Elementary rank among elementary schools in Santa Cruz?
By Resource Investment Index, Del Mar Elementary ranks #11 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 Del Mar Elementary a good school?
Del Mar Elementary earns 22/100 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 Live Oak Elementary?
Besides Del Mar Elementary, Live Oak Elementary also operates Shoreline Middle (478 students), Live Oak Elementary (362 students), and Green Acres Elementary (262 students). See the Live Oak 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.