Enrollment
689
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Garden Grove, CA
John Murdy Elementary
Federal NCES profile for John Murdy Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061488001865
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
John Murdy Elementary earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of California schools.
- #2 of 35
- elementary schools in Garden Grove · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 26.5:1
- large classes for California
- 67.7%
- free-lunch eligible
John Murdy Elementary has class sizes larger than 87% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, John Murdy Elementary ranks #2 of 35 elementary schools in Garden Grove, CA.
School address
District: Garden Grove Unified · California
NCES ID 061488001865 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
67.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How John Murdy Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at John Murdy Elementary
John Murdy Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Garden Grove, California, enrolling 689 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.5:1 is larger than about 87% of California schools and 23% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 67.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 689 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.
Among 1,894 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #36, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Asian (80%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 35/100).
11.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Garden Grove's elementary schools, it stands alongside Patton Elementary (904 students): John Murdy Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (26.5:1 vs 29.2:1).
Garden Grove Unified also operates Garden Grove High (2,148 students) and La Quinta High (2,041 students) alongside John Murdy 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 John Murdy Elementary compares
John Murdy 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 | 26.5:1 | ▲ 23% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 67.7% | ▲ 22% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 689 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.5:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
689
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
67.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
26.5:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 87% in California - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
11.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$16,783
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 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: 0.3 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 79.5%
Hispanic or Latino 12.9%
Two or More 5.1%
White 2.5%
Largest group: Asian at 79.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.8, John Murdy Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Garden Grove Unified, which includes John Murdy Elementary.
$16,783
Per student
+2%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.3%
State 56.8%
Federal 12.9%
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 John Murdy Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden Grove High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| La Quinta High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bolsa Grande High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Santiago High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pacifica High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to John Murdy Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,148
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,041
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,701
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,664
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,634
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar elementary schools in Garden Grove
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Patton Elementary
Standard public school
904 students 29.2:1 students per teacher
Ocia a. Peters Elementary
Standard public school
893 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
Lampson Elementary
Standard public school
676 students 32.2:1 students per teacher
Bryant Elementary
Standard public school
571 students 24.8:1 students per teacher
Gilbert Elementary
Standard public school
515 students 25.8:1 students per teacher
Riverdale Elementary
Standard public school
501 students 26.4:1 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 (~689 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on John Murdy Elementary's federal record.
- Compare John Murdy Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Garden Grove 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 John Murdy Elementary
How many students attend John Murdy Elementary?
John Murdy Elementary has 689 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Garden Grove, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at John Murdy Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at John Murdy Elementary is 26.5:1, which is 23% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 69% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at John Murdy Elementary?
67.7% of students at John Murdy Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of John Murdy Elementary?
The largest demographic group at John Murdy Elementary is Asian at 79.5% of enrollment, in Garden Grove, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for John Murdy Elementary?
John Murdy Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 John Murdy Elementary rank among elementary schools in Garden Grove?
By Resource Investment Index, John Murdy Elementary ranks #2 of 35 elementary schools in Garden Grove, 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 Garden Grove on the city page.
Is John Murdy Elementary a good school?
John Murdy Elementary earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% 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 Garden Grove Unified?
Besides John Murdy Elementary, Garden Grove Unified also operates Garden Grove High (2,148 students), La Quinta High (2,041 students), and Bolsa Grande High (1,701 students). See the Garden Grove 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.