Enrollment
324
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Juan Capistrano, CA
Harold Ambuehl Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Harold Ambuehl Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060744000692
👥 S:T ratio 8
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 57
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Harold Ambuehl Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #2 of 5
- elementary schools in San Juan Capistrano · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 23.1:1
- students per teacher
- 30.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Harold Ambuehl Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Harold Ambuehl Elementary ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in San Juan Capistrano, CA.
School address
District: Capistrano Unified · California
NCES ID 060744000692 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
-45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Harold Ambuehl Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Harold Ambuehl Elementary
Harold Ambuehl Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in San Juan Capistrano, California, enrolling 324 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.1:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 324 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 758 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #197.
Its student body is led by White (56%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 216 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among San Juan Capistrano's elementary schools, it stands alongside San Juan Elementary (662 students): Harold Ambuehl Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (23.1:1 vs 23.6:1).
Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students) and San Juan Hills High (2,641 students) alongside Harold Ambuehl 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 Harold Ambuehl Elementary compares
Harold Ambuehl 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 | 23.1:1 | ▲ 7% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.8% | ▼ 45% | 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
23.1:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
324
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% 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
23.1:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 63% in California - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
33.6%
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 216 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 55.9%
Hispanic or Latino 27.2%
Two or More 13.6%
Asian 1.9%
African American 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 55.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.5, Harold Ambuehl 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 Harold Ambuehl 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 Harold Ambuehl Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Clemente High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| San Juan Hills High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aliso Niguel High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tesoro High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Capistrano Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Harold Ambuehl 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 San Juan Capistrano
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
San Juan Elementary
Standard public school
662 students 23.6:1 students per teacher
Del Obispo Elementary
Standard public school
310 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Kinoshita Elementary
Standard public school
302 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
Capistrano Home/Virtual
Alternative education program
82 students 13.7:1 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 (~324 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Harold Ambuehl Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Harold Ambuehl 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 Harold Ambuehl Elementary
How many students attend Harold Ambuehl Elementary?
Harold Ambuehl Elementary has 324 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Juan Capistrano, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Harold Ambuehl Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Harold Ambuehl Elementary is 23.1:1, which is 7% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 47% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Harold Ambuehl Elementary?
30.8% of students at Harold Ambuehl Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Harold Ambuehl Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Harold Ambuehl Elementary is White at 55.9% of enrollment, in San Juan Capistrano, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Harold Ambuehl Elementary?
Harold Ambuehl Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Harold Ambuehl Elementary rank among elementary schools in San Juan Capistrano?
By Resource Investment Index, Harold Ambuehl Elementary ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in San Juan Capistrano, 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 San Juan Capistrano on the city page.
Is Harold Ambuehl Elementary a good school?
Harold Ambuehl Elementary earns 38/100 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 Harold Ambuehl 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.