Enrollment
345
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Tustin, CA
Ladera Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Ladera 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 064015008757
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ladera Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #3 of 10
- elementary schools in Tustin · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 31.4:1
- large classes for California
- 19.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Ladera Elementary has class sizes larger than 97% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ladera Elementary ranks #3 of 10 elementary schools in Tustin, CA.
School address
District: Tustin Unified · California
NCES ID 064015008757 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
31.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+46% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ladera Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ladera Elementary
Ladera Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Tustin, California, enrolling 345 students.
Class loads run heavy: 31.4:1 is larger than about 97% of California schools and 46% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 19.9% free-meal eligibility runs 64% below the California average.
Enrollment of 345 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 720 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #335.
Its student body is led by Asian (34%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 690 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
12.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Tustin's elementary schools, it stands alongside Sycamore Magnet Academy (1,085 students): Ladera Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (31.4:1 vs 22.6:1).
Tustin Unified also operates Arnold O. Beckman High (2,776 students) and Foothill High (2,126 students) alongside Ladera 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 Ladera Elementary compares
Ladera 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 | 31.4:1 | ▲ 46% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.9% | ▼ 64% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 345 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
31.4:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
345
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 64% 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
31.4:1
students per teacher
- 46% above state mean
Top 97% in California - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
12.8%
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
$13,372
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
Counselors0.5 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
Asian 34.2%
Hispanic or Latino 29.3%
White 23.5%
Two or More 12.5%
African American 0.6%
Largest group: Asian at 34.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.6, Ladera Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tustin Unified, which includes Ladera Elementary.
$13,372
Per student
-19%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.9%
State 38.0%
Federal 8.1%
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 Ladera Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arnold O. Beckman High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Foothill High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tustin High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Orchard Hills | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sycamore Magnet Academy | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ladera Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,776
- Students per teacher
- 26.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,126
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,627
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,373
- Students per teacher
- 29.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,085
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
Similar elementary schools in Tustin
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Sycamore Magnet Academy
Standard public school
1,085 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Heritage Elementary
Standard public school
567 students 28.4:1 students per teacher
Tustin Ranch Elementary
Standard public school
520 students 26:1 students per teacher
Robert Heideman Elementary
Standard public school
502 students 27.9:1 students per teacher
W. R. Nelson Elementary
Standard public school
460 students 24.2:1 students per teacher
Helen Estock Elementary
Standard public school
456 students 25.3:1 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 (~345 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ladera Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Ladera Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Tustin 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 Ladera Elementary
How many students attend Ladera Elementary?
Ladera Elementary has 345 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Tustin, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ladera Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ladera Elementary is 31.4:1, which is 46% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 100% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ladera Elementary?
19.9% of students at Ladera Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ladera Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ladera Elementary is Asian at 34.2% of enrollment, in Tustin, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ladera Elementary?
Ladera 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).
How does Ladera Elementary rank among elementary schools in Tustin?
By Resource Investment Index, Ladera Elementary ranks #3 of 10 elementary schools in Tustin, 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 Tustin on the city page.
Is Ladera Elementary a good school?
Ladera Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% 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 Tustin Unified?
Besides Ladera Elementary, Tustin Unified also operates Arnold O. Beckman High (2,776 students), Foothill High (2,126 students), and Tustin High (1,627 students). See the Tustin 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.