Enrollment
640
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lake Forest, CA
Lake Forest Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Lake Forest Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063386000769
👥 S:T ratio 5
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lake Forest Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #6 of 7
- elementary schools in Lake Forest · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 23.7:1
- students per teacher
- 41.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Lake Forest Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lake Forest Elementary ranks #6 of 7 elementary schools in Lake Forest, CA.
School address
District: Saddleback Valley Unified · California
NCES ID 063386000769 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lake Forest Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lake Forest Elementary
Lake Forest Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Lake Forest, California, enrolling 640 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.7:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 640 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,375 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #188.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (50%) and White (22%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Lake Forest's elementary schools, it stands alongside Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary (896 students): Lake Forest Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (23.7:1 vs 26.4:1).
Saddleback Valley Unified also operates Trabuco Hills High (2,475 students) and El Toro High (1,902 students) alongside Lake Forest 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 Forest Elementary compares
Lake Forest 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 | 23.7:1 | ▲ 10% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.8% | ▼ 25% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 640 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.7:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
640
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
23.7:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 69% in California - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
21.9%
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
$13,733
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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
Hispanic or Latino 49.8%
White 22.2%
Asian 13.6%
Two or More 11.6%
African American 2.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 49.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.0, Lake Forest Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Saddleback Valley Unified, which includes Lake Forest Elementary.
$13,733
Per student
-17%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.6%
State 29.5%
Federal 7.9%
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 Forest Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trabuco Hills High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| El Toro High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mission Viejo High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Laguna Hills High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lake Forest Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,475
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,902
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,566
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,317
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,153
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Lake Forest
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary
Standard public school
896 students 26.4:1 students per teacher
Rancho Canada Elementary
Standard public school
633 students 25.3:1 students per teacher
Oxford Preparatory Academy - Saddleback Valley
Standard public school
565 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
La Madera Elementary
Standard public school
554 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
Santiago Steam Magnet Elementary
Standard public school
517 students 27.2:1 students per teacher
Olivewood Elementary
Standard public school
396 students 22:1 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 (~640 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lake Forest Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Lake Forest Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Saddleback Valley 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 Forest Elementary
How many students attend Lake Forest Elementary?
Lake Forest Elementary has 640 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lake Forest, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lake Forest Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Lake Forest Elementary is 23.7:1, which is 10% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 51% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lake Forest Elementary?
41.8% of students at Lake Forest Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lake Forest Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Lake Forest Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 49.8% of enrollment, in Lake Forest, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lake Forest Elementary?
Lake Forest Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Lake Forest Elementary rank among elementary schools in Lake Forest?
By Resource Investment Index, Lake Forest Elementary ranks #6 of 7 elementary schools in Lake Forest, 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 Lake Forest on the city page.
Is Lake Forest Elementary a good school?
Lake Forest Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Saddleback Valley Unified?
Besides Lake Forest Elementary, Saddleback Valley Unified also operates Trabuco Hills High (2,475 students), El Toro High (1,902 students), and Mission Viejo High (1,566 students). See the Saddleback Valley 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.