Enrollment
634
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Diego, CA
Los Penasquitos Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Los Penasquitos Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 17/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063153004887
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Los Penasquitos Elementary earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #169 of 179
- elementary schools in San Diego · Resource Index
- 17
- Resource Index · Lower
- 30.2:1
- large classes for California
- 35.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Los Penasquitos Elementary has class sizes larger than 96% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Los Penasquitos Elementary ranks #169 of 179 elementary schools in San Diego, CA.
School address
District: Poway Unified · California
NCES ID 063153004887 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
30.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Los Penasquitos Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Los Penasquitos Elementary
Los Penasquitos Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in San Diego, California, enrolling 634 students.
Class loads run heavy: 30.2:1 is larger than about 96% of California schools and 40% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 35.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 634 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,386 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,225, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Asian (35%) and White (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 74/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 634 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among San Diego's elementary schools, it stands alongside Albert Einstein Academies (1,448 students): Los Penasquitos Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (30.2:1 vs 24.1:1).
Poway Unified also operates Del Norte High (2,557 students) and Rancho Bernardo High (2,210 students) alongside Los Penasquitos 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 Los Penasquitos Elementary compares
Los Penasquitos 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 | 30.2:1 | ▲ 40% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.5% | ▼ 36% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 634 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
30.2:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
634
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
30.2:1
students per teacher
- 40% above state mean
Top 96% in California - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
25.2%
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
$13,960
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 634 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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
Asian 34.9%
White 29.4%
Hispanic or Latino 18.2%
Two or More 11.4%
African American 5.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Asian at 34.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 74.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 74.2, Los Penasquitos Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Poway Unified, which includes Los Penasquitos Elementary.
$13,960
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.2%
State 39.4%
Federal 6.4%
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 Los Penasquitos Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Del Norte High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rancho Bernardo High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Westview High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Poway High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mt. Carmel High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Los Penasquitos Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,557
- Students per teacher
- 26.9:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 2,210
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,116
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,101
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,800
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar elementary schools in San Diego
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Albert Einstein Academies
Standard public school
1,448 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Design 39 Campus
Standard public school
1,216 students 27:1 students per teacher
Nestor Language Academy Charter
Standard public school
1,079 students 25.7:1 students per teacher
Ocean View Hills
Standard public school
1,020 students 23.7:1 students per teacher
Language Academy
Standard public school
1,015 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Del Sur Elementary
Standard public school
891 students 24.1:1 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 (~634 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~30.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Los Penasquitos Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Los Penasquitos Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Poway 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 Los Penasquitos Elementary
How many students attend Los Penasquitos Elementary?
Los Penasquitos Elementary has 634 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Diego, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Los Penasquitos Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Los Penasquitos Elementary is 30.2:1, which is 40% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 92% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Los Penasquitos Elementary?
35.5% of students at Los Penasquitos Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Los Penasquitos Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Los Penasquitos Elementary is Asian at 34.9% of enrollment, in San Diego, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 74.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Los Penasquitos Elementary?
Los Penasquitos Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 17/100 (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 Los Penasquitos Elementary rank among elementary schools in San Diego?
By Resource Investment Index, Los Penasquitos Elementary ranks #169 of 179 elementary schools in San Diego, 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 Diego on the city page.
Is Los Penasquitos Elementary a good school?
Los Penasquitos Elementary earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% 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 Poway Unified?
Besides Los Penasquitos Elementary, Poway Unified also operates Del Norte High (2,557 students), Rancho Bernardo High (2,210 students), and Westview High (2,116 students). See the Poway 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.