Enrollment
324
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Pacific Grove, CA
Forest Grove Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Forest Grove 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 062937004528
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Forest Grove Elementary earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 88% of California schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Pacific Grove · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.4:1
- small classes for California
- 19.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Forest Grove Elementary has class sizes smaller than 88% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Forest Grove Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Pacific Grove, CA.
School address
District: Pacific Grove Unified · California
NCES ID 062937004528 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Forest Grove Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Forest Grove Elementary
Forest Grove Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Pacific Grove, California, enrolling 324 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 15.4:1, Forest Grove Elementary is leaner than roughly 88% of California schools and 28% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 19.4% free-meal eligibility runs 65% below the California average.
Enrollment of 324 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 627 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #514, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 405 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Pacific Grove Unified spends $23,215 per pupil, 41% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Pacific Grove's elementary schools, it stands alongside Monterey Bay Charter (475 students): Forest Grove Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.4:1 vs 25:1).
Pacific Grove Unified also operates Pacific Grove High (552 students) and Pacific Grove Middle (439 students) alongside Forest Grove 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 Forest Grove Elementary compares
Forest Grove 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 | 15.4:1 | ▼ 28% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.4% | ▼ 65% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 324 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
324
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.4%
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
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 28% below state mean
Top 12% in California - lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
33.3%
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
$23,215
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
Counselors0.8 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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 49.1%
Hispanic or Latino 26.9%
Two or More 16.0%
Asian 5.2%
African American 1.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 49.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.8, Forest Grove Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pacific Grove Unified, which includes Forest Grove Elementary.
$23,215
Per student
+41%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 76.9%
State 18.1%
Federal 5.1%
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 Forest Grove Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Grove High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pacific Grove Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Robert Down Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Community High (Continuation) | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Forest Grove Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 552
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 439
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 422
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 12
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar elementary schools in Pacific Grove
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 (~324 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Forest Grove Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Forest Grove Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Pacific Grove 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 Forest Grove Elementary
How many students attend Forest Grove Elementary?
Forest Grove Elementary has 324 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Pacific Grove, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Forest Grove Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Forest Grove Elementary is 15.4:1, which is 28% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 2% lower 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 Forest Grove Elementary?
19.4% of students at Forest Grove Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Forest Grove Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Forest Grove Elementary is White at 49.1% of enrollment, in Pacific Grove, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Forest Grove Elementary?
Forest Grove 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 Forest Grove Elementary rank among elementary schools in Pacific Grove?
By Resource Investment Index, Forest Grove Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Pacific Grove, 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 Pacific Grove on the city page.
Is Forest Grove Elementary a good school?
Forest Grove Elementary earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 88% 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 Pacific Grove Unified?
Besides Forest Grove Elementary, Pacific Grove Unified also operates Pacific Grove High (552 students), Pacific Grove Middle (439 students), and Robert Down Elementary (422 students). See the Pacific Grove 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.