Enrollment
438
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Valley Center, CA
Lilac
Federal NCES profile for Lilac, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060006911158
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lilac earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #2 of 4
- elementary schools in Valley Center · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.9:1
- students per teacher
- 59.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Lilac has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lilac ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Valley Center, CA.
School address
District: Valley Center-Pauma Unified · California
NCES ID 060006911158 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
+7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lilac compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lilac
Lilac is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Valley Center, California, enrolling 438 students.
At 20.9:1, 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 59.3% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 438 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,714 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #1,080.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (63%) and White (26%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 292 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Valley Center's elementary schools, it stands alongside Valley Center Primary (496 students): Lilac is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.9:1 vs 20.7:1).
Valley Center-Pauma Unified also operates Valley Center High (1,075 students) and Valley Center Middle (766 students) alongside Lilac.
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 Lilac compares
Lilac on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.9:1 | ▼ 3% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.3% | ▲ 7% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 438 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.9:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
438
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
59.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% 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
20.9:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 42% in California - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
43.8%
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
$14,038
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 292 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 63.2%
White 26.3%
Two or More 4.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.5%
Asian 1.6%
African American 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 63.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.8, Lilac is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Valley Center-Pauma Unified, which includes Lilac.
$14,038
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.6%
State 41.7%
Federal 13.7%
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 Lilac Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Center High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Valley Center Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Valley Center Primary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Valley Center Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pauma Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lilac's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,075
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 766
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 496
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 476
- Students per teacher
- 25.1:1
- Resource Index
- 9/100
- Enrollment
- 245
- Students per teacher
- 27.2:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
Similar elementary schools in Valley Center
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 (~438 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lilac's federal record.
- Compare Lilac against another school. Compare schools
- Valley Center-Pauma 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 Lilac
How many students attend Lilac?
Lilac has 438 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Valley Center, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lilac?
The student-teacher ratio at Lilac is 20.9:1, which is 3% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 33% 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 Lilac?
59.3% of students at Lilac are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lilac?
The largest demographic group at Lilac is Hispanic or Latino at 63.2% of enrollment, in Valley Center, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lilac?
Lilac has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (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 Lilac rank among elementary schools in Valley Center?
By Resource Investment Index, Lilac ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Valley Center, 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 Valley Center on the city page.
Is Lilac a good school?
Lilac earns 22/100 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 Valley Center-Pauma Unified?
Besides Lilac, Valley Center-Pauma Unified also operates Valley Center High (1,075 students), Valley Center Middle (766 students), and Valley Center Primary (496 students). See the Valley Center-Pauma 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.