Enrollment
721
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Seal Beach, CA
J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary
Federal NCES profile for J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062259008885
👥 S:T ratio 15
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.2:1
- students per teacher
- 11.3%
- free-lunch eligible
- 721
- students enrolled
J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Los Alamitos Unified · California
NCES ID 062259008885 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-80% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary
J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Seal Beach, California, enrolling 721 students.
At 21.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 11.3% free-meal eligibility runs 80% below the California average.
Enrollment of 721 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 888 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #496.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1202 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Los Alamitos Unified also operates Los Alamitos High (2,915 students) and Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle (1,018 students) alongside J. H. Mcgaugh 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 J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary compares
J. H. Mcgaugh 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 | 21.2:1 | ▼ 1% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.3% | ▼ 80% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 721 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.2:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
721
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 80% 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
21.2:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 45% in California - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
18.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,884
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
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.1 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 48.8%
Hispanic or Latino 26.9%
Two or More 14.0%
Asian 8.2%
African American 1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 48.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.3, J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Los Alamitos Unified, which includes J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary.
$13,884
Per student
-16%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.2%
State 42.3%
Federal 8.4%
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 J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Alamitos High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oak Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Francis Hopkinson Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jack L. Weaver Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,915
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,018
- Students per teacher
- 25.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 998
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 642
- Students per teacher
- 26.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 640
- Students per teacher
- 26.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~721 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary's federal record.
- Compare J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Los Alamitos 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 J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary
How many students attend J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary?
J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary has 721 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Seal Beach, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary is 21.2:1, which is 1% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 35% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary?
11.3% of students at J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary?
The largest demographic group at J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary is White at 48.8% of enrollment, in Seal Beach, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary?
J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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).
Is J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary a good school?
J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Los Alamitos Unified?
Besides J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary, Los Alamitos Unified also operates Los Alamitos High (2,915 students), Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle (1,018 students), and Oak Middle (998 students). See the Los Alamitos 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.