Enrollment
725
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Carlsbad, CA
La Costa Meadows Elementary
Federal NCES profile for La Costa Meadows Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063488008974
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
La Costa Meadows Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of California schools.
- #14 of 15
- elementary schools in Carlsbad · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25:1
- large classes for California
- 16.2%
- free-lunch eligible
La Costa Meadows Elementary has class sizes larger than 79% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, La Costa Meadows Elementary ranks #14 of 15 elementary schools in Carlsbad, CA.
School address
District: San Marcos Unified · California
NCES ID 063488008974 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
16.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-71% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How La Costa Meadows Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at La Costa Meadows Elementary
La Costa Meadows Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Carlsbad, California, enrolling 725 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 16.2% free-meal eligibility runs 71% below the California average.
Enrollment of 725 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.
Among 1,114 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #871, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 725 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Carlsbad's elementary schools, it stands alongside Carrillo Elementary (725 students): La Costa Meadows Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (25:1 vs 25:1).
San Marcos Unified also operates San Marcos High (3,067 students) and Mission Hills High (2,751 students) alongside La Costa Meadows 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 La Costa Meadows Elementary compares
La Costa Meadows 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 | 25:1 | ▲ 16% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 16.2% | ▼ 71% | 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
25:1
Leaner classes than 5% 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
16.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 71% 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
25:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 79% in California - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
24.7%
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
White 64.8%
Hispanic or Latino 18.1%
Two or More 11.0%
Asian 5.7%
African American 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 64.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.2, La Costa Meadows 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 La Costa Meadows 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 La Costa Meadows Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Marcos High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mission Hills High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| San Elijo Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Woodland Park Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Double Peak | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to La Costa Meadows 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 Carlsbad
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Carrillo Elementary
Standard public school
725 students 25:1 students per teacher
Hope Elementary
Standard public school
659 students 24.4:1 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 (~725 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on La Costa Meadows Elementary's federal record.
- Compare La Costa Meadows 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 La Costa Meadows Elementary
How many students attend La Costa Meadows Elementary?
La Costa Meadows Elementary has 725 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Carlsbad, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at La Costa Meadows Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at La Costa Meadows Elementary is 25:1, which is 16% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 59% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at La Costa Meadows Elementary?
16.2% of students at La Costa Meadows Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of La Costa Meadows Elementary?
The largest demographic group at La Costa Meadows Elementary is White at 64.8% of enrollment, in Carlsbad, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for La Costa Meadows Elementary?
La Costa Meadows Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (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 La Costa Meadows Elementary rank among elementary schools in Carlsbad?
By Resource Investment Index, La Costa Meadows Elementary ranks #14 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 La Costa Meadows Elementary a good school?
La Costa Meadows Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% 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 San Marcos Unified?
Besides La Costa Meadows 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.