Enrollment
330
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Laguna Niguel, CA
Hidden Hills Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Hidden Hills Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 18/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060744003367
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 2
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hidden Hills Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of California schools.
- #8 of 8
- elementary schools in Laguna Niguel · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.4:1
- large classes for California
- 65.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Hidden Hills Elementary has class sizes larger than 82% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hidden Hills Elementary ranks #8 of 8 elementary schools in Laguna Niguel, CA.
School address
District: Capistrano Unified · California
NCES ID 060744003367 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hidden Hills Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hidden Hills Elementary
Hidden Hills Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Laguna Niguel, California, enrolling 330 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.4:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 65.4% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 330 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,346 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,061, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (68%) and White (18%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 550 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Laguna Niguel's elementary schools, it stands alongside Community Roots Academy (780 students): Hidden Hills Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.4:1 vs 19.5:1).
Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students) and San Juan Hills High (2,641 students) alongside Hidden Hills 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 Hidden Hills Elementary compares
Hidden Hills 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 | 25.4:1 | ▲ 18% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.4% | ▲ 18% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 330 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.4:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
330
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% 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
25.4:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 82% in California - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
39.1%
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
Counselors0.6 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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 67.6%
White 17.6%
Two or More 9.7%
Asian 4.2%
African American 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 67.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.1, Hidden Hills 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 Hidden Hills 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 Hidden Hills Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Clemente High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Juan Hills High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aliso Niguel High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tesoro High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Capistrano Valley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hidden Hills 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 Laguna Niguel
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Community Roots Academy
Standard public school
780 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
John Malcom Elementary
Standard public school
553 students 25.1:1 students per teacher
Moulton Elementary
Standard public school
538 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Laguna Niguel Elementary
Standard public school
456 students 26.8:1 students per teacher
Marian Bergeson Elementary
Standard public school
423 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
George White Elementary
Standard public school
378 students 23.6:1 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 (~330 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hidden Hills Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Hidden Hills 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 Hidden Hills Elementary
How many students attend Hidden Hills Elementary?
Hidden Hills Elementary has 330 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Laguna Niguel, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hidden Hills Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Hidden Hills Elementary is 25.4:1, which is 18% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 62% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hidden Hills Elementary?
65.4% of students at Hidden Hills Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hidden Hills Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Hidden Hills Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 67.6% of enrollment, in Laguna Niguel, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hidden Hills Elementary?
Hidden Hills Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (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 Hidden Hills Elementary rank among elementary schools in Laguna Niguel?
By Resource Investment Index, Hidden Hills Elementary ranks #8 of 8 elementary schools in Laguna Niguel, 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 Laguna Niguel on the city page.
Is Hidden Hills Elementary a good school?
Hidden Hills Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% 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 Capistrano Unified?
Besides Hidden Hills 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.