Enrollment
830
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Irvine, CA
Hicks Canyon Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Hicks Canyon Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 064015010995
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hicks Canyon Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of California schools.
- #27 of 35
- elementary schools in Irvine · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.9:1
- large classes for California
- 20.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Hicks Canyon Elementary has class sizes larger than 85% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hicks Canyon Elementary ranks #27 of 35 elementary schools in Irvine, CA.
School address
District: Tustin Unified · California
NCES ID 064015010995 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
20.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-62% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hicks Canyon Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hicks Canyon Elementary
Hicks Canyon Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Irvine, California, enrolling 830 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.9:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 20.9% free-meal eligibility runs 62% below the California average.
Enrollment of 830 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,075 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #437.
Its student body is led by Asian (51%) and White (21%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1660 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Irvine's elementary schools, it stands alongside Orchard Hills (1,373 students): Hicks Canyon Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (25.9:1 vs 29.2:1).
Tustin Unified also operates Arnold O. Beckman High (2,776 students) and Foothill High (2,126 students) alongside Hicks Canyon 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 Hicks Canyon Elementary compares
Hicks Canyon 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 | 25.9:1 | ▲ 20% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.9% | ▼ 62% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 830 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.9:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
830
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
20.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 62% 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
25.9:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 85% in California - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
9.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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
Asian 51.2%
White 21.1%
Hispanic or Latino 15.5%
Two or More 10.6%
African American 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Asian at 51.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.8, Hicks Canyon Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tustin Unified, which includes Hicks Canyon 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 Hicks Canyon Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arnold O. Beckman High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Foothill High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tustin High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Orchard Hills | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sycamore Magnet Academy | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hicks Canyon 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 Irvine
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Orchard Hills
Standard public school
1,373 students 29.2:1 students per teacher
Woodbury Elementary
Standard public school
1,095 students 31.3:1 students per teacher
Beacon Park
Standard public school
1,065 students 29.6:1 students per teacher
Stonegate Elementary
Standard public school
1,037 students 32.4:1 students per teacher
Cypress Village Elementary
Standard public school
1,007 students 28:1 students per teacher
Solis Park
Standard public school
972 students 60.8:1 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 (~830 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hicks Canyon Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Hicks Canyon 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 Hicks Canyon Elementary
How many students attend Hicks Canyon Elementary?
Hicks Canyon Elementary has 830 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Irvine, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hicks Canyon Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Hicks Canyon Elementary is 25.9:1, which is 20% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 65% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hicks Canyon Elementary?
20.9% of students at Hicks Canyon Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hicks Canyon Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Hicks Canyon Elementary is Asian at 51.2% of enrollment, in Irvine, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hicks Canyon Elementary?
Hicks Canyon Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Hicks Canyon Elementary rank among elementary schools in Irvine?
By Resource Investment Index, Hicks Canyon Elementary ranks #27 of 35 elementary schools in Irvine, 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 Irvine on the city page.
Is Hicks Canyon Elementary a good school?
Hicks Canyon Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% 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 Hicks Canyon 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.