Enrollment
287
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Rafael, CA
Laurel Dell Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Laurel Dell Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063509006037
👥 S:T ratio 4
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Laurel Dell Elementary earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #4 of 10
- elementary schools in San Rafael · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.9:1
- large classes for California
- 81.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Laurel Dell Elementary has class sizes larger than 70% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Laurel Dell Elementary ranks #4 of 10 elementary schools in San Rafael, CA.
School address
District: San Rafael City Elementary · California
NCES ID 063509006037 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+47% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Laurel Dell Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Laurel Dell Elementary
Laurel Dell Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in San Rafael, California, enrolling 287 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.9:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 81.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 287 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 1,041 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #439.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (91% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 287 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among San Rafael's elementary schools, it stands alongside Venetia Valley K-8 (748 students): Laurel Dell Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.9:1 vs 20.8:1).
San Rafael City Elementary also operates James B. Davidson Middle (1,052 students) and Venetia Valley K-8 (748 students) alongside Laurel Dell 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 Laurel Dell Elementary compares
Laurel Dell 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 | 23.9:1 | ▲ 11% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.8% | ▲ 47% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 287 | top 75% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.9:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
287
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
81.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 47% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
23.9:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 70% in California - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
22.0%
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
$16,402
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 287 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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: 1.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 90.9%
White 5.2%
African American 1.7%
Two or More 1.7%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 90.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 17.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 17.0, Laurel Dell Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Rafael City Elementary, which includes Laurel Dell Elementary.
$16,402
Per student
-1%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.6%
State 43.9%
Federal 10.5%
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 Laurel Dell Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| James B. Davidson Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Venetia Valley K-8 | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bahia Vista Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sun Valley Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| San Pedro Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Laurel Dell Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,052
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 748
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 552
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 523
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 469
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in San Rafael
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Venetia Valley K-8
Standard public school
748 students 20.8:1 students per teacher
Bahia Vista Elementary
Standard public school
552 students 23:1 students per teacher
Sun Valley Elementary
Standard public school
523 students 24.9:1 students per teacher
San Pedro Elementary
Standard public school
469 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
Mary E. Silveira Elementary
Standard public school
412 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
Vallecito Elementary
Standard public school
408 students 25.5:1 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 (~287 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Laurel Dell Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Laurel Dell Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- San Rafael City Elementary'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 Laurel Dell Elementary
How many students attend Laurel Dell Elementary?
Laurel Dell Elementary has 287 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Rafael, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Laurel Dell Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Laurel Dell Elementary is 23.9:1, which is 11% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 52% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Laurel Dell Elementary?
81.8% of students at Laurel Dell Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Laurel Dell Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Laurel Dell Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 90.9% of enrollment, in San Rafael, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Laurel Dell Elementary?
Laurel Dell Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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 Laurel Dell Elementary rank among elementary schools in San Rafael?
By Resource Investment Index, Laurel Dell Elementary ranks #4 of 10 elementary schools in San Rafael, 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 San Rafael on the city page.
Is Laurel Dell Elementary a good school?
Laurel Dell Elementary earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of California schools. It is also less 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 San Rafael City Elementary?
Besides Laurel Dell Elementary, San Rafael City Elementary also operates James B. Davidson Middle (1,052 students), Venetia Valley K-8 (748 students), and Bahia Vista Elementary (552 students). See the San Rafael City Elementary 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.