Enrollment
696
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Oceanside, CA
Lake Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Lake Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 12/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 064119009460
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lake Elementary earns 12/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of California schools.
- #10 of 23
- elementary schools in Oceanside · Resource Index
- 12
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.9:1
- large classes for California
- 24.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Lake Elementary has class sizes larger than 79% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lake Elementary ranks #10 of 23 elementary schools in Oceanside, CA.
School address
District: Vista Unified · California
NCES ID 064119009460 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lake Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lake Elementary
Lake Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Oceanside, California, enrolling 696 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.9:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 24.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 696 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,303 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,277, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 696 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Oceanside's elementary schools, it stands alongside Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary (820 students): Lake Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.9:1 vs 21.6:1).
Vista Unified also operates Rancho Buena Vista High (1,949 students) and Vista High (1,746 students) alongside Lake 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 Lake Elementary compares
Lake 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 | 24.9:1 | ▲ 16% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.7% | ▼ 55% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 696 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.9:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
696
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% 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
24.9:1
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
32.8%
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
$15,274
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 696 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 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 56.6%
Hispanic or Latino 31.8%
Two or More 7.0%
Asian 2.6%
African American 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 56.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.3, Lake Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Vista Unified, which includes Lake Elementary.
$15,274
Per student
-7%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.1%
State 53.6%
Federal 10.3%
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 Lake Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rancho Buena Vista High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Vista High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mission Vista High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Madison Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lake Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,949
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 1,746
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,670
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,158
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 866
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
Similar elementary schools in Oceanside
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary
Standard public school
820 students 21.6:1 students per teacher
North Terrace Elementary
Standard public school
771 students 24.9:1 students per teacher
Louise Foussat Elementary
Standard public school
755 students 34.3:1 students per teacher
Empresa Elementary
Standard public school
705 students 25.2:1 students per teacher
Ivey Ranch Elementary
Standard public school
698 students 23.3:1 students per teacher
Scholarship Prep - Oceanside
Standard public school
626 students 32.9:1 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 (~696 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lake Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Lake Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Vista 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 Lake Elementary
How many students attend Lake Elementary?
Lake Elementary has 696 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Oceanside, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lake Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Lake Elementary is 24.9:1, 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 Lake Elementary?
24.7% of students at Lake Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lake Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Lake Elementary is White at 56.6% of enrollment, in Oceanside, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lake Elementary?
Lake Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 12/100 (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 Lake Elementary rank among elementary schools in Oceanside?
By Resource Investment Index, Lake Elementary ranks #10 of 23 elementary schools in Oceanside, 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 Oceanside on the city page.
Is Lake Elementary a good school?
Lake Elementary earns 12/100 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 Vista Unified?
Besides Lake Elementary, Vista Unified also operates Rancho Buena Vista High (1,949 students), Vista High (1,746 students), and Mission Vista High (1,670 students). See the Vista 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.