Enrollment
689
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Monterey, CA
La Mesa
Federal NCES profile for La Mesa, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062553003830
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 66
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
La Mesa earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Monterey · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 26.5:1
- large classes for California
- 25.2%
- free-lunch eligible
La Mesa has class sizes larger than 87% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, La Mesa ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Monterey, CA.
School address
District: Monterey Peninsula Unified · California
NCES ID 062553003830 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
25.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How La Mesa compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at La Mesa
La Mesa is a mid-sized elementary school in Monterey, 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 below the state's typical profile, with 25.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 689 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 1,320 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #722.
Its student body is led by White (45%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
13.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Monterey's elementary schools, it stands alongside Monte Vista (688 students): La Mesa is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (26.5:1 vs 26.5:1).
Monterey Peninsula Unified also operates Monterey High (1,401 students) and Seaside High (1,073 students) alongside La Mesa.
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 Mesa compares
La Mesa 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 | 25.2% | ▼ 55% | 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
25.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% 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
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
13.6%
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
$16,404
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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 + 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 44.5%
Hispanic or Latino 29.1%
Asian 10.8%
Two or More 10.5%
African American 3.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 44.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.3, La Mesa is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Monterey Peninsula Unified, which includes La Mesa.
$16,404
Per student
-1%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.8%
State 40.7%
Federal 12.5%
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 Mesa Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monterey High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Seaside High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Marina High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Monte Vista | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| J. C. Crumpton Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to La Mesa's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,401
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,073
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 721
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 688
- Students per teacher
- 26.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 562
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
Similar elementary schools in Monterey
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 La Mesa's federal record.
- Compare La Mesa against another school. Compare schools
- Monterey Peninsula 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 Mesa
How many students attend La Mesa?
La Mesa has 689 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Monterey, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at La Mesa?
The student-teacher ratio at La Mesa 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 La Mesa?
25.2% of students at La Mesa are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of La Mesa?
The largest demographic group at La Mesa is White at 44.5% of enrollment, in Monterey, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for La Mesa?
La Mesa has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 La Mesa rank among elementary schools in Monterey?
By Resource Investment Index, La Mesa ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Monterey, 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 Monterey on the city page.
Is La Mesa a good school?
La Mesa earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of California schools. 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 Monterey Peninsula Unified?
Besides La Mesa, Monterey Peninsula Unified also operates Monterey High (1,401 students), Seaside High (1,073 students), and Marina High (721 students). See the Monterey Peninsula 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.