2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 062049002472

Lagunita Elementary — Salinas, CA

Federal NCES profile for Lagunita Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 31/100.

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0/100100/10031/100
👥 Class size
39
🌟 Gifted program
30
📋 Attendance
23
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →

The verdict

Lagunita Elementary earns an F Resource Investment Index (31/100), even as it posts class sizes smaller than 91% of California schools.

F
Resource Index · 31/100
15.2:1
small classes for California
15.8%
free-lunch eligible
62
students enrolled

School address

Salinas, CA 93907
District: Lagunita Elementary · California

Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.

Enrollment

62

California · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

5.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

15.2:1

vs 21.6:1 California avg

-30% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

15.8%

vs 55.5% California avg

-72% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Lagunita Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians

Smaller classes than state median
0:135:115.2:1

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula. PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.

What this school's NCES data tells you

Lagunita Elementary reports 62 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 5.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 30% below the California state mean of 21.6:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 3% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.

Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 15.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 72% below the California average and 69% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 30.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.

On the finance side, the surrounding Lagunita Elementary spends $12,490 per pupil district-wide, below the California average of $16,509 and below the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 23.3% from local sources (property taxes), 72.6% from the state, and 4.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25

How Lagunita Elementary compares

Cross-validating school-level NCES values against California state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.

Metric This school vs California California avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 15.2:1 ▼ 30% 21.6:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 15.8% ▼ 72% 55.5% 51.8%
Enrollment 62 top 7% — —

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

Class size vs. every US school

Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)

15 smaller classes than 47% of 92,598 US schools

0–2: 295 US schools (0%). Below this entry. 2–4: 597 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 4–6: 1,033 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 6–8: 1,939 US schools (2%). Below this entry. 8–10: 4,805 US schools (5%). Below this entry. 10–12: 11,082 US schools (12%). Below this entry. 12–14: 16,971 US schools (18%). Below this entry. 14–16: 18,959 US schools (20%). This entry sits in this band. 16–18: 13,660 US schools (15%). Above this entry. 18–20: 8,300 US schools (9%). Above this entry. 20–22: 5,448 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 22–24: 4,007 US schools (4%). Above this entry. 24–26: 2,663 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 26–28: 1,131 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 28–30: 504 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 30–32: 307 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 32–34: 189 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 34–36: 141 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 36–38: 93 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 38–40: 94 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 40–42: 59 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 42–44: 46 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 44–46: 56 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 46–48: 58 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 48–50: 34 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 50–52: 37 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 52–54: 30 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 54–56: 15 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 56–58: 25 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 58–60: 20 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 60 every US school, by class size, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25

School size vs. every US school

Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')

62 larger than 7% of 95,891 US schools

0–150: 14,035 US schools (15%). This entry sits in this band. 150–300: 16,928 US schools (18%). Above this entry. 300–450: 21,633 US schools (23%). Above this entry. 450–600: 17,006 US schools (18%). Above this entry. 600–750: 10,042 US schools (10%). Above this entry. 750–900: 5,568 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 900–1,050: 3,006 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 1,050–1,200: 1,826 US schools (2%). Above this entry. 1,200–1,350: 1,220 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,350–1,500: 908 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,500–1,650: 692 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,650–1,800: 607 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,800–1,950: 502 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,950–2,100: 432 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,100–2,250: 346 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,250–2,400: 252 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,400–2,550: 203 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,550–2,700: 163 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,700–2,850: 115 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,850–3,000: 85 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 3,000 every US school, by enrollment, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25

What the federal data reveals about equity at this school

Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.

Economic need
15.8%
free-lunch eligible — 72% 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
15.2:1
students per teacher — 30% below state mean
Top 9% in California — lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
30.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,490
per pupil, district-wide — below California avg of $16,509
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Overview

Enrollment 62 Top 7% in California — larger than 93% of 10,006 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 5.0
Students per teacher 15.2:1 -30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 15.8% -72% vs state
NCES ID 062049002472

Student demographics

Hispanic or Latino 50.0%
White 45.2%
Two or More 4.8%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 50.0% of enrollment.

Programs & staff

Counselors (FTE) 0.0

Discipline & special education

Chronically absent 30.6%
In-school suspensions 3
Out-of-school suspensions 0

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lagunita Elementary, which includes Lagunita Elementary.

$12,490
Per student
-24%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.3%
State 72.6%
Federal 4.1%

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.

Similar elementary schools in Salinas

6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.

Sherwood Elementary
Standard public school
859 students 23.4:1 students per teacher
Monte Bella Elementary
Standard public school
812 students 26.2:1 students per teacher
Henry F. Kammann Elementary
Standard public school
743 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Fremont Elementary
Standard public school
711 students 23.7:1 students per teacher
Natividad Elementary
Standard public school
705 students 23.5:1 students per teacher
Mission Park Elementary
Standard public school
657 students 25.9:1 students per teacher

Educator & family resources

In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.

Understanding NCES data

How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.

Choose a school district

Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.

How schools are funded

Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.

Chronic absenteeism

Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.

Magnet vs charter vs traditional

Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.

School discipline data

What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.

Frequently asked questions about Lagunita Elementary

How many students attend Lagunita Elementary?

Lagunita Elementary has 62 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Salinas, CA.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Lagunita Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Lagunita Elementary is 15.2:1, which is 30% lower than the California average of 21.6:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lagunita Elementary?

15.8% of students at Lagunita Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lagunita Elementary?

The largest demographic group at Lagunita Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 50.0%. The school serves a student body in Salinas, CA.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Lagunita Elementary?

Lagunita Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.

Is Lagunita Elementary a good school?

Lagunita Elementary earns an F Resource Investment Index (31/100), even as it posts class sizes smaller than 91% of California schools. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.

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Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type — administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) — universe of U.S. public schools and districts. nces.ed.gov/ccd
  • NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) — discipline, absenteeism, and AP-course participation. ocrdata.ed.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey — per-pupil expenditure and revenue sources. nces.ed.gov/ccd/f33agency
  • USDA National School Lunch Program (NSLP) — free and reduced-price lunch eligibility. fns.usda.gov/nslp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS — demographic and socioeconomic context for school catchment areas. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • U.S. Department of Education ESSA Title I — federal Title I program participation. ed.gov