Enrollment
378
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Laguna Niguel, CA
George White Elementary
Federal NCES profile for George White Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060744009523
👥 S:T ratio 6
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
George White Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #3 of 8
- elementary schools in Laguna Niguel · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.6:1
- students per teacher
- 32.8%
- free-lunch eligible
George White Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, George White Elementary ranks #3 of 8 elementary schools in Laguna Niguel, CA.
School address
District: Capistrano Unified · California
NCES ID 060744009523 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How George White Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at George White Elementary
George White Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Laguna Niguel, California, enrolling 378 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.6:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 378 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,017 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #574.
Its student body is led by White (56%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 756 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Laguna Niguel's elementary schools, it stands alongside Community Roots Academy (780 students): George White Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.6:1 vs 19.5:1).
Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students) and San Juan Hills High (2,641 students) alongside George White 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 George White Elementary compares
George White 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 | 23.6:1 | ▲ 10% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.8% | ▼ 41% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 378 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.6:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
378
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
23.6:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 68% in California - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
24.6%
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
$14,421
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
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 55.8%
Hispanic or Latino 25.4%
Two or More 16.4%
Asian 2.4%
Largest group: White at 55.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.7, George White Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Capistrano Unified, which includes George White Elementary.
$14,421
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 61.2%
State 31.0%
Federal 7.7%
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 George White Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Clemente High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Juan Hills High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aliso Niguel High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tesoro High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Capistrano Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to George White Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,740
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,641
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,563
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,030
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,991
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Laguna Niguel
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Community Roots Academy
Standard public school
780 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
John Malcom Elementary
Standard public school
553 students 25.1:1 students per teacher
Moulton Elementary
Standard public school
538 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Laguna Niguel Elementary
Standard public school
456 students 26.8:1 students per teacher
Marian Bergeson Elementary
Standard public school
423 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
Hidden Hills Elementary
Standard public school
330 students 25.4:1 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 (~378 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on George White Elementary's federal record.
- Compare George White Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Capistrano 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 George White Elementary
How many students attend George White Elementary?
George White Elementary has 378 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Laguna Niguel, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at George White Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at George White Elementary is 23.6:1, which is 10% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 50% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at George White Elementary?
32.8% of students at George White Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of George White Elementary?
The largest demographic group at George White Elementary is White at 55.8% of enrollment, in Laguna Niguel, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for George White Elementary?
George White Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 George White Elementary rank among elementary schools in Laguna Niguel?
By Resource Investment Index, George White Elementary ranks #3 of 8 elementary schools in Laguna Niguel, 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 Laguna Niguel on the city page.
Is George White Elementary a good school?
George White Elementary earns 29/100 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 Capistrano Unified?
Besides George White Elementary, Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students), San Juan Hills High (2,641 students), and Aliso Niguel High (2,563 students). See the Capistrano 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.