Enrollment
597
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Santa Monica, CA
Franklin Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Franklin Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063570006090
👥 S:T ratio 12
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 74
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Franklin Elementary earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #2 of 8
- elementary schools in Santa Monica · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.1:1
- students per teacher
- 7.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Franklin Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Franklin Elementary ranks #2 of 8 elementary schools in Santa Monica, CA.
School address
District: Santa Monica-Malibu Unified · California
NCES ID 063570006090 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
7.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-86% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Franklin Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Franklin Elementary
Franklin Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Santa Monica, California, enrolling 597 students.
At 22.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 7.5% free-meal eligibility runs 86% below the California average.
Enrollment of 597 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 784 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #294.
Its student body is led by White (62%) and Asian (16%) (diversity index 58/100).
10.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Santa Monica's elementary schools, it stands alongside Grant Elementary (562 students): Franklin Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (22.1:1 vs 19.4:1).
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified also operates Santa Monica High (2,588 students) and Lincoln Middle (914 students) alongside Franklin 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 Franklin Elementary compares
Franklin 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 | 22.1:1 | ▲ 3% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 7.5% | ▼ 86% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 597 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.1:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
597
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
7.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 86% 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
22.1:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 54% in California - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
10.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$19,713
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 61.5%
Asian 15.6%
Hispanic or Latino 11.7%
Two or More 8.0%
African American 2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 61.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.7, Franklin Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Santa Monica-Malibu Unified, which includes Franklin Elementary.
$19,713
Per student
+19%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 85.5%
State 8.6%
Federal 5.9%
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 Franklin Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Monica High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John Adams Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Grant Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Franklin Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,588
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 914
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 806
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 562
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 552
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary schools in Santa Monica
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Grant Elementary
Standard public school
562 students 19.4:1 students per teacher
Roosevelt Elementary
Standard public school
552 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Will Rogers Elementary
Standard public school
522 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Edison Elementary
Standard public school
404 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Canyon Charter Elementary
Standard public school
391 students 23:1 students per teacher
Mckinley Elementary
Standard public school
362 students 15.7:1 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 (~597 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Franklin Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Franklin Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Santa Monica-Malibu 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 Franklin Elementary
How many students attend Franklin Elementary?
Franklin Elementary has 597 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Santa Monica, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Franklin Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Franklin Elementary is 22.1:1, which is 3% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 41% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Franklin Elementary?
7.5% of students at Franklin Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Franklin Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Franklin Elementary is White at 61.5% of enrollment, in Santa Monica, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Franklin Elementary?
Franklin Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical 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 Franklin Elementary rank among elementary schools in Santa Monica?
By Resource Investment Index, Franklin Elementary ranks #2 of 8 elementary schools in Santa Monica, 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 Monica on the city page.
Is Franklin Elementary a good school?
Franklin Elementary earns 39/100 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 Santa Monica-Malibu Unified?
Besides Franklin Elementary, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified also operates Santa Monica High (2,588 students), Lincoln Middle (914 students), and John Adams Middle (806 students). See the Santa Monica-Malibu 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.