Enrollment
413
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Santa Barbara, CA
Foothill Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Foothill Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061551001970
👥 S:T ratio 3
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 80
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Foothill Elementary earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of California schools.
- #4 of 20
- elementary schools in Santa Barbara · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 24.3:1
- large classes for California
- 14.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Foothill Elementary has class sizes larger than 74% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Foothill Elementary ranks #4 of 20 elementary schools in Santa Barbara, CA.
School address
District: Goleta Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 061551001970 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-74% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Foothill Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Foothill Elementary
Foothill Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Santa Barbara, California, enrolling 413 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.3:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 14.7% free-meal eligibility runs 74% below the California average.
With 413 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 93% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 909 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #40, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%) (diversity index 65/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.2% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Goleta Union Elementary spends $22,500 per pupil, 36% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Santa Barbara's elementary schools, it stands alongside Peabody Charter (780 students): Foothill Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24.3:1 vs 24.4:1).
Goleta Union Elementary also operates Brandon Elementary (429 students) and Isla Vista Elementary (418 students) alongside Foothill 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 Foothill Elementary compares
Foothill 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 | 24.3:1 | ▲ 13% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.7% | ▼ 74% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 413 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.3:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
413
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 74% 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
24.3:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 74% in California - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
8.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$22,500
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
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 50.5%
Hispanic or Latino 26.9%
Two or More 14.3%
Asian 6.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
African American 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 50.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.8, Foothill Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Goleta Union Elementary, which includes Foothill Elementary.
$22,500
Per student
+36%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 70.3%
State 19.6%
Federal 10.1%
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 Foothill Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Isla Vista Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hollister Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kellogg Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| La Patera Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Foothill Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 429
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 418
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 393
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 369
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 369
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar elementary schools in Santa Barbara
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Peabody Charter
Standard public school
780 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Washington Elementary
Standard public school
477 students 17:1 students per teacher
Adams Elementary
Standard public school
469 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Roosevelt Elementary
Standard public school
463 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Franklin Elementary
Standard public school
424 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Hollister Elementary
Standard public school
393 students 21.8:1 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 (~413 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Foothill Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Foothill Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Goleta Union 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 Foothill Elementary
How many students attend Foothill Elementary?
Foothill Elementary has 413 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Santa Barbara, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Foothill Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Foothill Elementary is 24.3:1, which is 13% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 55% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Foothill Elementary?
14.7% of students at Foothill Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Foothill Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Foothill Elementary is White at 50.5% of enrollment, in Santa Barbara, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Foothill Elementary?
Foothill Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher 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 Foothill Elementary rank among elementary schools in Santa Barbara?
By Resource Investment Index, Foothill Elementary ranks #4 of 20 elementary schools in Santa Barbara, 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 Barbara on the city page.
Is Foothill Elementary a good school?
Foothill Elementary earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% 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 Goleta Union Elementary?
Besides Foothill Elementary, Goleta Union Elementary also operates Brandon Elementary (429 students), Isla Vista Elementary (418 students), and Hollister Elementary (393 students). See the Goleta Union 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.