Enrollment
404
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Laguna Beach, CA
El Morro Elementary
Federal NCES profile for El Morro Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062037002453
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
El Morro Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of California schools.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Laguna Beach · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.6:1
- small classes for California
- 19.2%
- free-lunch eligible
El Morro Elementary has class sizes smaller than 81% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, El Morro Elementary ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Laguna Beach, CA.
School address
District: Laguna Beach Unified · California
NCES ID 062037002453 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How El Morro Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at El Morro Elementary
El Morro Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Laguna Beach, California, enrolling 404 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 17.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 19.2% free-meal eligibility runs 65% below the California average.
With 404 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 991 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #331.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 404 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Laguna Beach Unified spends $26,628 per pupil, 61% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Laguna Beach's elementary schools, it stands alongside Top of the World Elementary (536 students): El Morro Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.6:1 vs 19.9:1).
Laguna Beach Unified also operates Laguna Beach High (815 students) and Top of the World Elementary (536 students) alongside El Morro 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 El Morro Elementary compares
El Morro 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 | 17.6:1 | ▼ 18% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.2% | ▼ 65% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 404 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.6:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
404
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% 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
17.6:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 19% in California - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
27.2%
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
$26,628
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 404 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 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 69.8%
Hispanic or Latino 12.9%
Two or More 9.7%
Asian 6.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
African American 0.5%
Largest group: White at 69.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.3, El Morro Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Laguna Beach Unified, which includes El Morro Elementary.
$26,628
Per student
+61%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+60%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 86.1%
State 9.4%
Federal 4.6%
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.
How El Morro Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laguna Beach High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Top of the World Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thurston Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to El Morro Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 815
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 536
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 524
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar elementary schools in Laguna Beach
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~404 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on El Morro Elementary's federal record.
- Compare El Morro Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Laguna Beach 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 El Morro Elementary
How many students attend El Morro Elementary?
El Morro Elementary has 404 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Laguna Beach, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at El Morro Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at El Morro Elementary is 17.6:1, which is 18% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 12% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at El Morro Elementary?
19.2% of students at El Morro Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of El Morro Elementary?
The largest demographic group at El Morro Elementary is White at 69.8% of enrollment, in Laguna Beach, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for El Morro Elementary?
El Morro Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical 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 El Morro Elementary rank among public schools in Laguna Beach?
By Resource Investment Index, El Morro Elementary ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Laguna Beach, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Laguna Beach on the city page.
Is El Morro Elementary a good school?
El Morro Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% 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 Laguna Beach Unified?
Besides El Morro Elementary, Laguna Beach Unified also operates Laguna Beach High (815 students), Top of the World Elementary (536 students), and Thurston Middle (524 students). See the Laguna Beach 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.