Enrollment
577
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Nipomo, CA
Lange (Dorothea) Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Lange (Dorothea) Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062308011785
👥 S:T ratio 14
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 44
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lange (Dorothea) Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Nipomo · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.4:1
- students per teacher
- 52.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Lange (Dorothea) Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lange (Dorothea) Elementary ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Nipomo, CA.
School address
District: Lucia Mar Unified · California
NCES ID 062308011785 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lange (Dorothea) Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lange (Dorothea) Elementary
Lange (Dorothea) Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Nipomo, California, enrolling 577 students.
At 21.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 52.2% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 577 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 1,584 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #441.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (59%) and White (36%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1154 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Nipomo's elementary schools, it stands alongside Dana Elementary (612 students): Lange (Dorothea) Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.4:1 vs 23.5:1).
Lucia Mar Unified also operates Arroyo Grande High (2,012 students) and Nipomo High (819 students) alongside Lange (Dorothea) 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 Lange (Dorothea) Elementary compares
Lange (Dorothea) 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 | 21.4:1 | ▼ 0% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.2% | ▼ 6% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 577 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.4:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
577
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% 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
21.4:1
students per teacher
- 0% below state mean
Top 47% in California - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
22.4%
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
$13,869
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
8
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 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 58.9%
White 36.2%
Two or More 4.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 58.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.0, Lange (Dorothea) Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lucia Mar Unified, which includes Lange (Dorothea) Elementary.
$13,869
Per student
-16%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.3%
State 30.7%
Federal 10.9%
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 Lange (Dorothea) Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arroyo Grande High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Nipomo High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Harloe Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dana Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ocean View Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lange (Dorothea) Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,012
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 819
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 619
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 612
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 547
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary schools in Nipomo
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 (~577 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lange (Dorothea) Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Lange (Dorothea) Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lucia Mar 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 Lange (Dorothea) Elementary
How many students attend Lange (Dorothea) Elementary?
Lange (Dorothea) Elementary has 577 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Nipomo, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lange (Dorothea) Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Lange (Dorothea) Elementary is 21.4:1, which is 0% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 36% higher 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 Lange (Dorothea) Elementary?
52.2% of students at Lange (Dorothea) Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lange (Dorothea) Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Lange (Dorothea) Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 58.9% of enrollment, in Nipomo, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lange (Dorothea) Elementary?
Lange (Dorothea) Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Lange (Dorothea) Elementary rank among elementary schools in Nipomo?
By Resource Investment Index, Lange (Dorothea) Elementary ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Nipomo, 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 Nipomo on the city page.
Is Lange (Dorothea) Elementary a good school?
Lange (Dorothea) Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Lucia Mar Unified?
Besides Lange (Dorothea) Elementary, Lucia Mar Unified also operates Arroyo Grande High (2,012 students), Nipomo High (819 students), and Harloe Elementary (619 students). See the Lucia Mar 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.