Enrollment
820
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Oceanside, CA
Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061350001543
👥 S:T ratio 14
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #2 of 23
- elementary schools in Oceanside · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.6:1
- students per teacher
- 17.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary ranks #2 of 23 elementary schools in Oceanside, CA.
School address
District: Fallbrook Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 061350001543 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
17.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary
Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Oceanside, California, enrolling 820 students.
At 21.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 17.3% free-meal eligibility runs 69% below the California average.
Enrollment of 820 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 999 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #833, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and Hispanic or Latino (34%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 820 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 28.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Oceanside's elementary schools, it stands alongside North Terrace Elementary (771 students): Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.6:1 vs 24.9:1).
Fallbrook Union Elementary also operates James E. Potter Intermediate (828 students) and Live Oak Elementary (717 students) alongside Mary Fay Pendleton 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 Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary compares
Mary Fay Pendleton 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 | 21.6:1 | ▲ 0% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 17.3% | ▼ 69% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 820 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.6:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
820
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
17.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 69% 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
21.6:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 49% in California - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
33.3%
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
$18,460
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 820 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 44.3%
Hispanic or Latino 34.1%
Two or More 11.2%
African American 8.7%
Asian 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 44.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.7, Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fallbrook Union Elementary, which includes Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary.
$18,460
Per student
+12%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.7%
State 45.1%
Federal 28.2%
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 Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| James E. Potter Intermediate | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Live Oak Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fallbrook Stem Academy | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Maie Ellis Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| William H. Frazier Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 828
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 717
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 600
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 560
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 514
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar elementary schools in Oceanside
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
North Terrace Elementary
Standard public school
771 students 24.9:1 students per teacher
Louise Foussat Elementary
Standard public school
755 students 34.3:1 students per teacher
Empresa Elementary
Standard public school
705 students 25.2:1 students per teacher
Ivey Ranch Elementary
Standard public school
698 students 23.3:1 students per teacher
Lake Elementary
Standard public school
696 students 24.9:1 students per teacher
Scholarship Prep - Oceanside
Standard public school
626 students 32.9:1 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 (~820 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Fallbrook Union 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 Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary
How many students attend Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary?
Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary has 820 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Oceanside, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary is 21.6:1, which is 0% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 38% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary?
17.3% of students at Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary is White at 44.3% of enrollment, in Oceanside, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary?
Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (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 Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary rank among elementary schools in Oceanside?
By Resource Investment Index, Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary ranks #2 of 23 elementary schools in Oceanside, 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 Oceanside on the city page.
Is Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary a good school?
Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Fallbrook Union Elementary?
Besides Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary, Fallbrook Union Elementary also operates James E. Potter Intermediate (828 students), Live Oak Elementary (717 students), and Fallbrook Stem Academy (600 students). See the Fallbrook Union 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.