Enrollment
261
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Jose, CA
Lowell Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Lowell Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063459005728
👥 S:T ratio 5
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lowell Elementary earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #122 of 154
- elementary schools in San Jose · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.7:1
- students per teacher
- 65.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Lowell Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lowell Elementary ranks #122 of 154 elementary schools in San Jose, CA.
School address
District: San Jose Unified · California
NCES ID 063459005728 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lowell Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lowell Elementary
Lowell Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in San Jose, California, enrolling 261 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.7:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 65.6% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 261 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 883 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #645, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (92% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 15/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 261 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among San Jose's elementary schools, it stands alongside Easterbrook Discovery (952 students): Lowell Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.7:1 vs 22.1:1).
San Jose Unified also operates Abraham Lincoln High (1,590 students) and Willow Glen High (1,543 students) alongside Lowell 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 Lowell Elementary compares
Lowell 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 | 23.7:1 | ▲ 10% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.6% | ▲ 18% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 261 | top 78% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.7:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
261
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% 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
23.7:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 69% in California - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
42.9%
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
$16,122
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 261 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 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 92.0%
Asian 4.2%
White 2.3%
Two or More 1.1%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 92.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.1, Lowell Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Jose Unified, which includes Lowell Elementary.
$16,122
Per student
-2%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 67.7%
State 23.6%
Federal 8.7%
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 Lowell Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abraham Lincoln High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Willow Glen High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Leland High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pioneer High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Willow Glen Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lowell Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,590
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,543
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,471
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,393
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,180
- Students per teacher
- 25.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar elementary schools in San Jose
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Easterbrook Discovery
Standard public school
952 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Merritt Trace Elementary
Standard public school
829 students 23:1 students per teacher
Orchard Elementary
Standard public school
740 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Tom Matsumoto Elementary
Standard public school
727 students 24.2:1 students per teacher
Herman (Leonard) Intermediate
Standard public school
723 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Booksin Elementary
Standard public school
715 students 23.8:1 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 (~261 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lowell Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Lowell Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- San Jose 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 Lowell Elementary
How many students attend Lowell Elementary?
Lowell Elementary has 261 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Jose, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lowell Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Lowell Elementary is 23.7:1, which is 10% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 51% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lowell Elementary?
65.6% of students at Lowell Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lowell Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Lowell Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 92.0% of enrollment, in San Jose, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lowell Elementary?
Lowell Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (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 Lowell Elementary rank among elementary schools in San Jose?
By Resource Investment Index, Lowell Elementary ranks #122 of 154 elementary schools in San Jose, 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 Jose on the city page.
Is Lowell Elementary a good school?
Lowell Elementary earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Jose Unified?
Besides Lowell Elementary, San Jose Unified also operates Abraham Lincoln High (1,590 students), Willow Glen High (1,543 students), and Leland High (1,471 students). See the San Jose 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.