Enrollment
329
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Palos Verdes Estates, CA
Lunada Bay Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Lunada Bay Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062970004609
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lunada Bay Elementary earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of California schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Palos Verdes Estates · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.3:1
- large classes for California
- 7.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Lunada Bay Elementary has class sizes larger than 81% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lunada Bay Elementary ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Palos Verdes Estates, CA.
School address
District: Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified · California
NCES ID 062970004609 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
7.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-87% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lunada Bay Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lunada Bay Elementary
Lunada Bay Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Palos Verdes Estates, California, enrolling 329 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.3:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 7.3% free-meal eligibility runs 87% below the California average.
Enrollment of 329 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 369 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #52.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 61/100).
11.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Palos Verdes Estates's elementary schools, it stands alongside Montemalaga Elementary (416 students): Lunada Bay Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.3:1 vs 23.1:1).
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified also operates Palos Verdes Peninsula High (2,075 students) and Palos Verdes High (1,484 students) alongside Lunada Bay 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 Lunada Bay Elementary compares
Lunada Bay 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 | 25.3:1 | ▲ 18% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 7.3% | ▼ 87% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 329 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.3:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
329
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
7.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 87% 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
25.3:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 81% in California - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
11.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$14,775
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
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 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
White 58.7%
Hispanic or Latino 15.8%
Two or More 11.9%
Asian 10.3%
African American 3.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 58.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.5, Lunada Bay Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified, which includes Lunada Bay Elementary.
$14,775
Per student
-11%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.2%
State 39.0%
Federal 5.7%
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 Lunada Bay Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palos Verdes Peninsula High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Palos Verdes High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ridgecrest Intermediate | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Palos Verdes Intermediate | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Miraleste Intermediate | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lunada Bay Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,075
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,484
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 881
- Students per teacher
- 25.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 735
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 720
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar elementary schools in Palos Verdes Estates
1 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 (~329 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lunada Bay Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Lunada Bay Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Palos Verdes Peninsula 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 Lunada Bay Elementary
How many students attend Lunada Bay Elementary?
Lunada Bay Elementary has 329 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Palos Verdes Estates, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lunada Bay Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Lunada Bay Elementary is 25.3:1, which is 18% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 61% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lunada Bay Elementary?
7.3% of students at Lunada Bay Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lunada Bay Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Lunada Bay Elementary is White at 58.7% of enrollment, in Palos Verdes Estates, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lunada Bay Elementary?
Lunada Bay Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical 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 Lunada Bay Elementary rank among public schools in Palos Verdes Estates?
By Resource Investment Index, Lunada Bay Elementary ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Palos Verdes Estates, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Palos Verdes Estates on the city page.
Is Lunada Bay Elementary a good school?
Lunada Bay Elementary earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% 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 Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified?
Besides Lunada Bay Elementary, Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified also operates Palos Verdes Peninsula High (2,075 students), Palos Verdes High (1,484 students), and Ridgecrest Intermediate (881 students). See the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Compare schools
Side-by-side comparison tool
Schools in California
All public schools in California
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified
All schools in this district
Schools in Palos Verdes Estates
All schools in this city
School districts
Ranked by enrollment & spending
Rankings
Best schools by state & type
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.