Enrollment
456
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Tustin, CA
Helen Estock Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Helen Estock Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 064015006637
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Helen Estock Elementary earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of California schools.
- #9 of 10
- elementary schools in Tustin · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.3:1
- large classes for California
- 79.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Helen Estock Elementary has class sizes larger than 81% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Helen Estock Elementary ranks #9 of 10 elementary schools in Tustin, CA.
School address
District: Tustin Unified · California
NCES ID 064015006637 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
79.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Helen Estock Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Helen Estock Elementary
Helen Estock Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Tustin, California, enrolling 456 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.3:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 79.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 456 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 2,048 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #1,351.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 31/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 285 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Tustin's elementary schools, it stands alongside Sycamore Magnet Academy (1,085 students): Helen Estock Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.3:1 vs 22.6:1).
Tustin Unified also operates Arnold O. Beckman High (2,776 students) and Foothill High (2,126 students) alongside Helen Estock 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 Helen Estock Elementary compares
Helen Estock 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 | 25.3:1 | ▲ 18% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 79.7% | ▲ 44% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 456 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.3:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
456
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
79.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
25.3:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 81% in California - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
36.4%
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
$13,372
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
Counselors1.6 FTE
Per 285 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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
Hispanic or Latino 82.5%
Asian 8.1%
White 4.6%
African American 3.3%
Two or More 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 82.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.9, Helen Estock Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tustin Unified, which includes Helen Estock Elementary.
$13,372
Per student
-19%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.9%
State 38.0%
Federal 8.1%
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 Helen Estock Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arnold O. Beckman High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Foothill High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tustin High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Orchard Hills | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sycamore Magnet Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Helen Estock Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,776
- Students per teacher
- 26.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,126
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,627
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,373
- Students per teacher
- 29.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,085
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
Similar elementary schools in Tustin
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Sycamore Magnet Academy
Standard public school
1,085 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Heritage Elementary
Standard public school
567 students 28.4:1 students per teacher
Tustin Ranch Elementary
Standard public school
520 students 26:1 students per teacher
Robert Heideman Elementary
Standard public school
502 students 27.9:1 students per teacher
W. R. Nelson Elementary
Standard public school
460 students 24.2:1 students per teacher
Benjamin F. Beswick Elementary
Standard public school
426 students 28.4:1 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 (~456 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Helen Estock Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Helen Estock Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Tustin 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 Helen Estock Elementary
How many students attend Helen Estock Elementary?
Helen Estock Elementary has 456 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Tustin, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Helen Estock Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Helen Estock Elementary is 25.3:1, which is 18% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 61% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Helen Estock Elementary?
79.7% of students at Helen Estock Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Helen Estock Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Helen Estock Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 82.5% of enrollment, in Tustin, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Helen Estock Elementary?
Helen Estock Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (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 Helen Estock Elementary rank among elementary schools in Tustin?
By Resource Investment Index, Helen Estock Elementary ranks #9 of 10 elementary schools in Tustin, 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 Tustin on the city page.
Is Helen Estock Elementary a good school?
Helen Estock Elementary earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% 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 Tustin Unified?
Besides Helen Estock Elementary, Tustin Unified also operates Arnold O. Beckman High (2,776 students), Foothill High (2,126 students), and Tustin High (1,627 students). See the Tustin 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.