Enrollment
659
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Carlsbad, CA
Hope Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Hope Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060750009120
👥 S:T ratio 2
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hope Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of California schools.
- #5 of 15
- elementary schools in Carlsbad · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.4:1
- large classes for California
- 15.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Hope Elementary has class sizes larger than 75% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hope Elementary ranks #5 of 15 elementary schools in Carlsbad, CA.
School address
District: Carlsbad Unified · California
NCES ID 060750009120 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hope Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hope Elementary
Hope Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Carlsbad, California, enrolling 659 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, 15.2% free-meal eligibility runs 73% below the California average.
Enrollment of 659 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 1,139 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #349.
Its student body is led by White (55%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%) (diversity index 61/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Carlsbad's elementary schools, it stands alongside Carrillo Elementary (725 students): Hope Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24.4:1 vs 25:1).
Carlsbad Unified also operates Carlsbad High (2,336 students) and Sage Creek High (1,289 students) alongside Hope 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 Hope Elementary compares
Hope 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 | 15.2% | ▼ 73% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 659 | top 27% | - | - |
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.
659
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% 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
21.1%
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
$13,634
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.5 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 55.4%
Hispanic or Latino 24.7%
Two or More 14.6%
Asian 4.4%
African American 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 55.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.9, Hope Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Carlsbad Unified, which includes Hope Elementary.
$13,634
Per student
-17%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 80.1%
State 14.0%
Federal 5.8%
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 Hope Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlsbad High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sage Creek High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aviara Oaks Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Valley Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Calavera Hills Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hope Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,336
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,289
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 991
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 807
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 655
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar elementary schools in Carlsbad
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Carrillo Elementary
Standard public school
725 students 25:1 students per teacher
La Costa Meadows Elementary
Standard public school
725 students 25:1 students per teacher
Pacific Rim Elementary
Standard public school
642 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
Aviara Oaks Elementary
Standard public school
612 students 23.5:1 students per teacher
La Costa Heights Elementary
Standard public school
552 students 19.7:1 students per teacher
Olivenhain Pioneer Elementary
Standard public school
520 students 20.8:1 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 (~659 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hope Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Hope Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Carlsbad 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 Hope Elementary
How many students attend Hope Elementary?
Hope Elementary has 659 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Carlsbad, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hope Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Hope 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 Hope Elementary?
15.2% of students at Hope Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hope Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Hope Elementary is White at 55.4% of enrollment, in Carlsbad, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hope Elementary?
Hope Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Hope Elementary rank among elementary schools in Carlsbad?
By Resource Investment Index, Hope Elementary ranks #5 of 15 elementary schools in Carlsbad, 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 Carlsbad on the city page.
Is Hope Elementary a good school?
Hope Elementary earns 40/100 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 Carlsbad Unified?
Besides Hope Elementary, Carlsbad Unified also operates Carlsbad High (2,336 students), Sage Creek High (1,289 students), and Aviara Oaks Middle (991 students). See the Carlsbad 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.