2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 061656002088

Happy Valley Elementary — Santa Cruz, CA

Federal NCES profile for Happy Valley Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 24/100.

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0/100100/10024/100
👥 Class size
20
🌟 Gifted program
30
📋 Attendance
22
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →

The verdict

Happy Valley Elementary earns an F Resource Investment Index (24/100), even as it posts class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools.

F
Resource Index · 24/100
20:1
small classes for California
10.0%
free-lunch eligible
106
students enrolled

School address

Santa Cruz, CA 95065
District: Happy Valley Elementary · California

Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.

Enrollment

106

California · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

6.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

20:1

vs 21.6:1 California avg

-7% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

10.0%

vs 55.5% California avg

-82% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Happy Valley Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians

At or below state median
0:135:120:1

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula. PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.

What this school's NCES data tells you

Happy Valley Elementary reports 106 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 6.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 20:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 7% below the California state mean of 21.6:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 27% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.

Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 10.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 82% below the California average and 81% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 31.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.

On the finance side, the surrounding Happy Valley Elementary spends $15,183 per pupil district-wide, below the California average of $16,509 and below the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 77.7% from local sources (property taxes), 16.8% from the state, and 5.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25

How Happy Valley Elementary compares

Cross-validating school-level NCES values against California state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.

Metric This school vs California California avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 20:1 ▼ 7% 21.6:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 10.0% ▼ 82% 55.5% 51.8%
Enrollment 106 top 11% — —

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

Class size vs. every US school

Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)

20 smaller classes than 16% of 92,598 US schools

0–2: 295 US schools (0%). Below this entry. 2–4: 597 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 4–6: 1,033 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 6–8: 1,939 US schools (2%). Below this entry. 8–10: 4,805 US schools (5%). Below this entry. 10–12: 11,082 US schools (12%). Below this entry. 12–14: 16,971 US schools (18%). Below this entry. 14–16: 18,959 US schools (20%). Below this entry. 16–18: 13,660 US schools (15%). Below this entry. 18–20: 8,300 US schools (9%). Below this entry. 20–22: 5,448 US schools (6%). This entry sits in this band. 22–24: 4,007 US schools (4%). Above this entry. 24–26: 2,663 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 26–28: 1,131 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 28–30: 504 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 30–32: 307 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 32–34: 189 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 34–36: 141 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 36–38: 93 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 38–40: 94 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 40–42: 59 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 42–44: 46 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 44–46: 56 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 46–48: 58 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 48–50: 34 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 50–52: 37 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 52–54: 30 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 54–56: 15 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 56–58: 25 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 58–60: 20 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 60 every US school, by class size, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25

School size vs. every US school

Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')

106 larger than 11% of 95,891 US schools

0–150: 14,035 US schools (15%). This entry sits in this band. 150–300: 16,928 US schools (18%). Above this entry. 300–450: 21,633 US schools (23%). Above this entry. 450–600: 17,006 US schools (18%). Above this entry. 600–750: 10,042 US schools (10%). Above this entry. 750–900: 5,568 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 900–1,050: 3,006 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 1,050–1,200: 1,826 US schools (2%). Above this entry. 1,200–1,350: 1,220 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,350–1,500: 908 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,500–1,650: 692 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,650–1,800: 607 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,800–1,950: 502 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,950–2,100: 432 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,100–2,250: 346 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,250–2,400: 252 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,400–2,550: 203 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,550–2,700: 163 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,700–2,850: 115 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,850–3,000: 85 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 3,000 every US school, by enrollment, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25

What the federal data reveals about equity at this school

Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.

Economic need
10.0%
free-lunch eligible — 82% 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
20:1
students per teacher — 7% below state mean
Top 29% in California — lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
31.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,183
per pupil, district-wide — below California avg of $16,509
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
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

Enrollment 106 Top 11% in California — larger than 89% of 10,006 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 6.0
Students per teacher 20:1 -7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 10.0% -82% vs state
NCES ID 061656002088

Student demographics

White 78.1%
Two or More 13.3%
Hispanic or Latino 7.6%
Asian 1.0%

Largest group: White at 78.1% of enrollment.

Programs & staff

Counselors (FTE) 0.0

Discipline & special education

Chronically absent 31.1%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Happy Valley Elementary, which includes Happy Valley Elementary.

$15,183
Per student
-8%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 77.7%
State 16.8%
Federal 5.6%

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.

Similar elementary schools in Santa Cruz

6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.

Brook Knoll Elementary
Standard public school
498 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
De Laveaga Elementary
Standard public school
481 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
Westlake Elementary
Standard public school
453 students 22.5:1 students per teacher
Bay View Elementary
Standard public school
394 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Live Oak Elementary
Standard public school
362 students 22:1 students per teacher
Del Mar Elementary
Standard public school
322 students 22.8:1 students per teacher

Educator & family resources

In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.

Understanding NCES data

How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.

Choose a school district

Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.

How schools are funded

Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.

Chronic absenteeism

Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.

Magnet vs charter vs traditional

Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.

School discipline data

What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.

Frequently asked questions about Happy Valley Elementary

How many students attend Happy Valley Elementary?

Happy Valley Elementary has 106 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Santa Cruz, CA.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Happy Valley Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Happy Valley Elementary is 20:1, which is 7% lower than the California average of 21.6:1 and 27% higher 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 Happy Valley Elementary?

10.0% of students at Happy Valley Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Happy Valley Elementary?

The largest demographic group at Happy Valley Elementary is White at 78.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in Santa Cruz, CA.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Happy Valley Elementary?

Happy Valley Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.

Is Happy Valley Elementary a good school?

Happy Valley Elementary earns an F Resource Investment Index (24/100), even as it posts class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.

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Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type — administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) — universe of U.S. public schools and districts. nces.ed.gov/ccd
  • NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) — discipline, absenteeism, and AP-course participation. ocrdata.ed.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey — per-pupil expenditure and revenue sources. nces.ed.gov/ccd/f33agency
  • USDA National School Lunch Program (NSLP) — free and reduced-price lunch eligibility. fns.usda.gov/nslp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS — demographic and socioeconomic context for school catchment areas. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • U.S. Department of Education ESSA Title I — federal Title I program participation. ed.gov