Enrollment
365
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Grover Beach, CA
Fairgrove Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Fairgrove Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062308003525
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fairgrove Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Grover Beach · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.2:1
- small classes for California
- 47.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Fairgrove Elementary has class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fairgrove Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Grover Beach, CA.
School address
District: Lucia Mar Unified · California
NCES ID 062308003525 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fairgrove Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fairgrove Elementary
Fairgrove Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Grover Beach, California, enrolling 365 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 47.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 365 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,125 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #479.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (58%) and White (35%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 730 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Grover Beach's elementary schools, it stands alongside Grover Beach Elementary (368 students): Fairgrove Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.2:1 vs 18.4:1).
Lucia Mar Unified also operates Arroyo Grande High (2,012 students) and Nipomo High (819 students) alongside Fairgrove 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 Fairgrove Elementary compares
Fairgrove 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 | 19.2:1 | ▼ 11% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.7% | ▼ 14% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 365 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.2:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
365
Bigger than 42% 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
19.2:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 29% in California - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
28.8%
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
$13,869
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.3 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 58.1%
White 35.1%
Two or More 4.9%
Asian 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 58.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.7, Fairgrove Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lucia Mar Unified, which includes Fairgrove Elementary.
$13,869
Per student
-16%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.3%
State 30.7%
Federal 10.9%
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 Fairgrove Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arroyo Grande High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Nipomo High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Harloe Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dana Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lange (Dorothea) Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fairgrove Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,012
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 819
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 619
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 612
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 577
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar elementary schools in Grover Beach
2 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 (~365 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fairgrove Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Fairgrove Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lucia Mar 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 Fairgrove Elementary
How many students attend Fairgrove Elementary?
Fairgrove Elementary has 365 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Grover Beach, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fairgrove Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Fairgrove Elementary is 19.2:1, which is 11% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 22% 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 Fairgrove Elementary?
47.7% of students at Fairgrove Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fairgrove Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Fairgrove Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 58.1% of enrollment, in Grover Beach, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fairgrove Elementary?
Fairgrove Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (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 Fairgrove Elementary rank among elementary schools in Grover Beach?
By Resource Investment Index, Fairgrove Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Grover Beach, 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 Grover Beach on the city page.
Is Fairgrove Elementary a good school?
Fairgrove Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 71% 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 Lucia Mar Unified?
Besides Fairgrove Elementary, Lucia Mar Unified also operates Arroyo Grande High (2,012 students), Nipomo High (819 students), and Harloe Elementary (619 students). See the Lucia Mar 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.