Enrollment
658
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Atherton, CA
Laurel Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Laurel Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062457003684
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Laurel Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #2 of 4
- elementary schools in Atherton · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16:1
- small classes for California
- 10.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Laurel Elementary has class sizes smaller than 87% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Laurel Elementary ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Atherton, CA.
School address
District: Menlo Park City Elementary · California
NCES ID 062457003684 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-81% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Laurel Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Laurel Elementary
Laurel Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Atherton, California, enrolling 658 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 16:1, Laurel Elementary is leaner than roughly 87% of California schools and 26% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 10.3% free-meal eligibility runs 81% below the California average.
Enrollment of 658 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 890 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #362.
Its student body is led by White (39%) and Asian (23%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 658 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Menlo Park City Elementary spends $24,857 per pupil, 51% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Atherton's elementary schools, it stands alongside Encinal Elementary (604 students): Laurel Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16:1 vs 15.9:1).
Menlo Park City Elementary also operates Hillview Middle (846 students) and Encinal Elementary (604 students) alongside Laurel 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 Elementary compares
Laurel 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 | 16:1 | ▼ 26% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.3% | ▼ 81% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 658 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
658
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 81% 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
16:1
students per teacher
- 26% below state mean
Top 13% in California - lower ratio than 87% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
5.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$24,857
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 658 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 39.4%
Asian 22.6%
Hispanic or Latino 22.5%
Two or More 13.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.2%
African American 0.9%
Largest group: White at 39.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.5, Laurel Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Menlo Park City Elementary, which includes Laurel Elementary.
$24,857
Per student
+51%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+50%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 86.3%
State 11.5%
Federal 2.3%
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 Laurel Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hillview Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Encinal Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Oak Knoll Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Laurel Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 846
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 604
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 574
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar elementary schools in Atherton
3 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 (~658 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Laurel Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Laurel Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Menlo Park 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 Elementary
How many students attend Laurel Elementary?
Laurel Elementary has 658 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Atherton, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Laurel Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Laurel Elementary is 16:1, which is 26% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 2% 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 Laurel Elementary?
10.3% of students at Laurel Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Laurel Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Laurel Elementary is White at 39.4% of enrollment, in Atherton, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Laurel Elementary?
Laurel Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Laurel Elementary rank among elementary schools in Atherton?
By Resource Investment Index, Laurel Elementary ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Atherton, 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 Atherton on the city page.
Is Laurel Elementary a good school?
Laurel Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% of California schools. 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 Menlo Park City Elementary?
Besides Laurel Elementary, Menlo Park City Elementary also operates Hillview Middle (846 students), Encinal Elementary (604 students), and Oak Knoll Elementary (574 students). See the Menlo Park 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.