Enrollment
725
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Marcos, CA
Knob Hill Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Knob Hill Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063488009439
👥 S:T ratio 6
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Knob Hill Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #8 of 11
- elementary schools in San Marcos · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.4:1
- students per teacher
- 37.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Knob Hill Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Knob Hill Elementary ranks #8 of 11 elementary schools in San Marcos, CA.
School address
District: San Marcos Unified · California
NCES ID 063488009439 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Knob Hill Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Knob Hill Elementary
Knob Hill Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in San Marcos, California, enrolling 725 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.4:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 37.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 725 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,279 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #837.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (47%) and White (35%) (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 725 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among San Marcos's elementary schools, it stands alongside Double Peak (1,171 students): Knob Hill Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.4:1 vs 21.7:1).
San Marcos Unified also operates San Marcos High (3,067 students) and Mission Hills High (2,751 students) alongside Knob Hill 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 Knob Hill Elementary compares
Knob Hill 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 | 23.4:1 | ▲ 9% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.5% | ▼ 32% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 725 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.4:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
725
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
23.4:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 66% in California - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
31.0%
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
$13,965
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 725 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 46.6%
White 34.8%
Asian 9.8%
Two or More 8.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 46.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.6, Knob Hill Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Marcos Unified, which includes Knob Hill Elementary.
$13,965
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.7%
State 52.8%
Federal 10.5%
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 Knob Hill Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Marcos High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mission Hills High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| San Elijo Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Woodland Park Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Double Peak | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Knob Hill Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,067
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,751
- Students per teacher
- 25.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,395
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,184
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,171
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar elementary schools in San Marcos
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Double Peak
Standard public school
1,171 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
Richland Elementary
Standard public school
883 students 27.6:1 students per teacher
La Mirada Academy
Standard public school
868 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
San Elijo Elementary
Standard public school
834 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Paloma Elementary
Standard public school
758 students 27.1:1 students per teacher
Discovery Elementary
Standard public school
717 students 25.6:1 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 (~725 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Knob Hill Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Knob Hill Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- San Marcos 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 Knob Hill Elementary
How many students attend Knob Hill Elementary?
Knob Hill Elementary has 725 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Marcos, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Knob Hill Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Knob Hill Elementary is 23.4:1, which is 9% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 49% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Knob Hill Elementary?
37.5% of students at Knob Hill Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Knob Hill Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Knob Hill Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 46.6% of enrollment, in San Marcos, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Knob Hill Elementary?
Knob Hill Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (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 Knob Hill Elementary rank among elementary schools in San Marcos?
By Resource Investment Index, Knob Hill Elementary ranks #8 of 11 elementary schools in San Marcos, 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 San Marcos on the city page.
Is Knob Hill Elementary a good school?
Knob Hill Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 San Marcos Unified?
Besides Knob Hill Elementary, San Marcos Unified also operates San Marcos High (3,067 students), Mission Hills High (2,751 students), and San Elijo Middle (1,395 students). See the San Marcos 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.