Enrollment
367
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Novato, CA
Lu Sutton Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Lu Sutton Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062772004188
👥 S:T ratio 2
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lu Sutton Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of California schools.
- #9 of 9
- elementary schools in Novato · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.5:1
- large classes for California
- 51.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Lu Sutton Elementary has class sizes larger than 76% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lu Sutton Elementary ranks #9 of 9 elementary schools in Novato, CA.
School address
District: Novato Unified · California
NCES ID 062772004188 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lu Sutton Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lu Sutton Elementary
Lu Sutton Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Novato, California, enrolling 367 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.5:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 51.9% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 367 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,209 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #620.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (68%) and White (23%) (diversity index 48/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Novato's elementary schools, it stands alongside Hamilton Meadow Park (544 students): Lu Sutton Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.5:1 vs 22.7:1).
Novato Unified also operates Novato High (1,287 students) and San Marin High (1,250 students) alongside Lu Sutton 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 Lu Sutton Elementary compares
Lu Sutton 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 | 24.5:1 | ▲ 14% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.9% | ▼ 6% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 367 | top 65% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.5:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
367
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
24.5:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 76% in California - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
20.7%
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
$14,065
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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: 0.3 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 68.4%
White 22.6%
Two or More 5.4%
African American 1.9%
Asian 1.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 68.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.8, Lu Sutton Elementary is about as mixed as the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Novato Unified, which includes Lu Sutton Elementary.
$14,065
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.1%
State 43.5%
Federal 7.4%
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 Lu Sutton Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novato High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Marin High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sinaloa Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Jose Intermediate | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hamilton Meadow Park | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lu Sutton Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,287
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,250
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 693
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 559
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 544
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar elementary schools in Novato
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Hamilton Meadow Park
Standard public school
544 students 22.7:1 students per teacher
Pleasant Valley Elementary
Standard public school
464 students 27.3:1 students per teacher
San Ramon Elementary
Standard public school
456 students 25.3:1 students per teacher
Loma Verde Elementary
Standard public school
426 students 25.1:1 students per teacher
Rancho Elementary
Standard public school
387 students 27.6:1 students per teacher
Olive Elementary
Standard public school
364 students 22.8:1 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 (~367 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lu Sutton Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Lu Sutton Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Novato 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 Lu Sutton Elementary
How many students attend Lu Sutton Elementary?
Lu Sutton Elementary has 367 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Novato, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lu Sutton Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Lu Sutton Elementary is 24.5:1, which is 14% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 56% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lu Sutton Elementary?
51.9% of students at Lu Sutton Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lu Sutton Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Lu Sutton Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 68.4% of enrollment, in Novato, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lu Sutton Elementary?
Lu Sutton Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Lu Sutton Elementary rank among elementary schools in Novato?
By Resource Investment Index, Lu Sutton Elementary ranks #9 of 9 elementary schools in Novato, 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 Novato on the city page.
Is Lu Sutton Elementary a good school?
Lu Sutton Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of 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 Novato Unified?
Besides Lu Sutton Elementary, Novato Unified also operates Novato High (1,287 students), San Marin High (1,250 students), and Sinaloa Middle (693 students). See the Novato 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.