Enrollment
357
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Grass Valley, CA
Margaret G. Scotten Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Margaret G. Scotten 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 061578008851
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Margaret G. Scotten Elementary earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #9 of 12
- elementary schools in Grass Valley · Resource Index
- 17
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.8:1
- students per teacher
- 67.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Margaret G. Scotten Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Margaret G. Scotten Elementary ranks #9 of 12 elementary schools in Grass Valley, CA.
School address
District: Grass Valley Elementary · California
NCES ID 061578008851 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
67.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Margaret G. Scotten Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Margaret G. Scotten Elementary
Margaret G. Scotten Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Grass Valley, California, enrolling 357 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 67.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 357 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 1,570 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,255, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (72%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%) (diversity index 45/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 67.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Grass Valley's elementary schools, it stands alongside Grass Valley Charter (546 students): Margaret G. Scotten Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.8:1 vs 24.8:1).
Grass Valley Elementary also operates Grass Valley Charter (546 students) and Lyman Gilmore Middle (464 students) alongside Margaret G. Scotten 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 Margaret G. Scotten Elementary compares
Margaret G. Scotten 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 | 19.8:1 | ▼ 8% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 67.6% | ▲ 22% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 357 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.8:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
357
Bigger than 41% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
67.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
19.8:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 33% in California - lower ratio than 67% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
67.8%
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
$14,332
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
2
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 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
White 72.0%
Hispanic or Latino 16.8%
Two or More 5.9%
Asian 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.4%
African American 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
Largest group: White at 72.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.9, Margaret G. Scotten Elementary is about as mixed as the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Grass Valley Elementary, which includes Margaret G. Scotten Elementary.
$14,332
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.8%
State 27.7%
Federal 13.5%
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 Margaret G. Scotten Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grass Valley Charter | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lyman Gilmore Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bell Hill Academy | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Margaret G. Scotten Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 546
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 9/100
- Enrollment
- 464
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 246
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 11/100
Similar elementary schools in Grass Valley
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Grass Valley Charter
Standard public school
546 students 24.8:1 students per teacher
Union Hill Elementary
Standard public school
542 students 20.8:1 students per teacher
Cottage Hill Elementary
Standard public school
485 students 24.3:1 students per teacher
Lyman Gilmore Middle
Standard public school
464 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Alta Sierra Elementary
Standard public school
338 students 22.5:1 students per teacher
Yuba River Charter
Standard public school
323 students 23.1:1 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 (~357 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Margaret G. Scotten Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Margaret G. Scotten Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Grass Valley Elementary'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 Margaret G. Scotten Elementary
How many students attend Margaret G. Scotten Elementary?
Margaret G. Scotten Elementary has 357 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Grass Valley, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Margaret G. Scotten Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Margaret G. Scotten Elementary is 19.8:1, which is 8% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 26% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Margaret G. Scotten Elementary?
67.6% of students at Margaret G. Scotten Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Margaret G. Scotten Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Margaret G. Scotten Elementary is White at 72.0% of enrollment, in Grass Valley, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Margaret G. Scotten Elementary?
Margaret G. Scotten Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 17/100 (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 Margaret G. Scotten Elementary rank among elementary schools in Grass Valley?
By Resource Investment Index, Margaret G. Scotten Elementary ranks #9 of 12 elementary schools in Grass Valley, 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 Grass Valley on the city page.
Is Margaret G. Scotten Elementary a good school?
Margaret G. Scotten Elementary earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Grass Valley Elementary?
Besides Margaret G. Scotten Elementary, Grass Valley Elementary also operates Grass Valley Charter (546 students), Lyman Gilmore Middle (464 students), and Bell Hill Academy (246 students). See the Grass Valley Elementary 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.