Enrollment
463
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lafayette, CA
Happy Valley Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Happy Valley Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062031002447
👥 S:T ratio 2
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 93
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Happy Valley Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of California schools.
- #3 of 4
- elementary schools in Lafayette · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.4:1
- large classes for California
- 1.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Happy Valley Elementary has class sizes larger than 75% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Happy Valley Elementary ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Lafayette, CA.
School address
District: Lafayette Elementary · California
NCES ID 062031002447 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
1.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-97% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Happy Valley Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Happy Valley Elementary
Happy Valley Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Lafayette, California, enrolling 463 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.4:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 1.5% free-meal eligibility runs 97% below the California average.
With 463 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.
Among 470 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #335, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and Two or More (22%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 463 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 2.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Lafayette's elementary schools, it stands alongside Burton Valley Elementary (653 students): Happy Valley Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.4:1 vs 23.3:1).
Lafayette Elementary also operates M. H. Stanley Middle (1,117 students) and Burton Valley Elementary (653 students) alongside Happy Valley 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 Happy Valley Elementary compares
Happy Valley 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 | 24.4:1 | ▲ 13% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 1.5% | ▼ 97% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 463 | top 51% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.4:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
463
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
1.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 97% 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
24.4:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 75% in California - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
2.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$15,087
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 463 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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 56.6%
Two or More 21.6%
Asian 12.3%
Hispanic or Latino 8.9%
African American 0.6%
Largest group: White at 56.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.0, Happy Valley Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lafayette Elementary, which includes Happy Valley Elementary.
$15,087
Per student
-9%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 76.0%
State 22.2%
Federal 1.8%
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 Happy Valley Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| M. H. Stanley Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Burton Valley Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lafayette Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Springhill Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Happy Valley Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,117
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 653
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 515
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 479
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Lafayette
3 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 (~463 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Happy Valley Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Happy Valley Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lafayette 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 Happy Valley Elementary
How many students attend Happy Valley Elementary?
Happy Valley Elementary has 463 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lafayette, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Happy Valley Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Happy Valley Elementary is 24.4:1, 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 Happy Valley Elementary?
1.5% 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 56.6% of enrollment, in Lafayette, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Happy Valley Elementary?
Happy Valley Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical 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 Happy Valley Elementary rank among elementary schools in Lafayette?
By Resource Investment Index, Happy Valley Elementary ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Lafayette, 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 Lafayette on the city page.
Is Happy Valley Elementary a good school?
Happy Valley Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% 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 Lafayette Elementary?
Besides Happy Valley Elementary, Lafayette Elementary also operates M. H. Stanley Middle (1,117 students), Burton Valley Elementary (653 students), and Lafayette Elementary (515 students). See the Lafayette 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.