Enrollment
783
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · South Pasadena, CA
Marengo Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Marengo Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063750006333
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Marengo Elementary earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in South Pasadena · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 28:1
- large classes for California
- 13.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Marengo Elementary has class sizes larger than 93% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Marengo Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in South Pasadena, CA.
School address
District: South Pasadena Unified · California
NCES ID 063750006333 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
28:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-75% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Marengo Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Marengo Elementary
Marengo Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in South Pasadena, California, enrolling 783 students.
Class loads run heavy: 28:1 is larger than about 93% of California schools and 30% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 13.9% free-meal eligibility runs 75% below the California average.
Enrollment of 783 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 937 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #328.
Its student body is led by Asian (46%) and Two or More (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1566 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among South Pasadena's elementary schools, it stands alongside Arroyo Vista Elementary (667 students): Marengo Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (28:1 vs 23:1).
South Pasadena Unified also operates South Pasadena Senior High (1,536 students) and South Pasadena Middle (1,096 students) alongside Marengo 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 Marengo Elementary compares
Marengo 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 | 28:1 | ▲ 30% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.9% | ▼ 75% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 783 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
28:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
783
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 75% 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
28:1
students per teacher
- 30% above state mean
Top 93% in California - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
5.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,435
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.1 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
Asian 45.5%
Two or More 21.2%
White 17.5%
Hispanic or Latino 15.3%
African American 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Asian at 45.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.4, Marengo Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Pasadena Unified, which includes Marengo Elementary.
$13,435
Per student
-19%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.9%
State 51.3%
Federal 7.8%
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 Marengo Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Pasadena Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| South Pasadena Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Arroyo Vista Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Monterey Hills Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Marengo Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,536
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,096
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 667
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 570
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar elementary schools in South Pasadena
2 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 (~783 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Marengo Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Marengo Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- South Pasadena 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 Marengo Elementary
How many students attend Marengo Elementary?
Marengo Elementary has 783 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in South Pasadena, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Marengo Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Marengo Elementary is 28:1, which is 30% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 78% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Marengo Elementary?
13.9% of students at Marengo Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Marengo Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Marengo Elementary is Asian at 45.5% of enrollment, in South Pasadena, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Marengo Elementary?
Marengo Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical 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 Marengo Elementary rank among elementary schools in South Pasadena?
By Resource Investment Index, Marengo Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in South Pasadena, 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 South Pasadena on the city page.
Is Marengo Elementary a good school?
Marengo Elementary earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% 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 South Pasadena Unified?
Besides Marengo Elementary, South Pasadena Unified also operates South Pasadena Senior High (1,536 students), South Pasadena Middle (1,096 students), and Arroyo Vista Elementary (667 students). See the South Pasadena 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.