Enrollment
514
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Diego, CA
Fay Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Fay Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063432005484
👥 S:T ratio 6
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 66
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fay Elementary earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #122 of 179
- elementary schools in San Diego · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.4:1
- students per teacher
- 86.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Fay Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fay Elementary ranks #122 of 179 elementary schools in San Diego, CA.
School address
District: San Diego Unified · California
NCES ID 063432005484 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
86.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
+56% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fay Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fay Elementary
Fay Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in San Diego, California, enrolling 514 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.4:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 86.6% of students qualify for free meals, 56% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 514 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.
Against 1,729 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #846.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (61%) and African American (24%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 171 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 59.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among San Diego's elementary schools, it stands alongside Albert Einstein Academies (1,448 students): Fay Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (23.4:1 vs 24.1:1).
San Diego Unified also operates Henry High (2,485 students) and Mira Mesa High (2,187 students) alongside Fay 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 Fay Elementary compares
Fay 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 | 23.4:1 | ▲ 9% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 86.6% | ▲ 56% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 514 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.4:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
514
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
86.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 56% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
23.4:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 66% in California - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
59.9%
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
$18,665
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 171 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.1 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 60.7%
African American 24.3%
Asian 7.4%
Two or More 3.5%
White 2.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 60.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.5, Fay Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Diego Unified, which includes Fay Elementary.
$18,665
Per student
+13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.5%
State 25.1%
Federal 14.4%
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 Fay Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mira Mesa High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hoover High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Scripps Ranch High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Point Loma High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fay Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,485
- Students per teacher
- 25.9:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 2,187
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,011
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 1,890
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,724
- Students per teacher
- 26.1:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar elementary schools in San Diego
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Albert Einstein Academies
Standard public school
1,448 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Design 39 Campus
Standard public school
1,216 students 27:1 students per teacher
Nestor Language Academy Charter
Standard public school
1,079 students 25.7:1 students per teacher
Ocean View Hills
Standard public school
1,020 students 23.7:1 students per teacher
Language Academy
Standard public school
1,015 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Del Sur Elementary
Standard public school
891 students 24.1:1 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 (~514 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fay Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Fay Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- San Diego 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 Fay Elementary
How many students attend Fay Elementary?
Fay Elementary has 514 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Diego, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fay Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Fay Elementary is 23.4:1, which is 9% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 49% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Fay Elementary?
86.6% of students at Fay Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fay Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Fay Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 60.7% of enrollment, in San Diego, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fay Elementary?
Fay Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (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 Fay Elementary rank among elementary schools in San Diego?
By Resource Investment Index, Fay Elementary ranks #122 of 179 elementary schools in San Diego, 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 San Diego on the city page.
Is Fay Elementary a good school?
Fay Elementary earns 26/100 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 San Diego Unified?
Besides Fay Elementary, San Diego Unified also operates Henry High (2,485 students), Mira Mesa High (2,187 students), and Hoover High (2,011 students). See the San Diego 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.