Enrollment
950
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Melinda Heights Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Melinda Heights Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063386007200
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Melinda Heights Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of California schools.
- #1 of 6
- elementary schools in Rancho Santa Margarita · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.7:1
- large classes for California
- 15.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Melinda Heights Elementary has class sizes larger than 84% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Melinda Heights Elementary ranks #1 of 6 elementary schools in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.
School address
District: Saddleback Valley Unified · California
NCES ID 063386007200 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Melinda Heights Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Melinda Heights Elementary
Melinda Heights Elementary is a lower-poverty, large elementary school in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, enrolling 950 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.7:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 15.0% free-meal eligibility runs 73% below the California average.
Enrollment of 950 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 691 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #123.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 65/100).
15.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Rancho Santa Margarita's elementary schools, it stands alongside Trabuco Mesa Elementary (640 students): Melinda Heights Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.7:1 vs 22.9:1).
Saddleback Valley Unified also operates Trabuco Hills High (2,475 students) and El Toro High (1,902 students) alongside Melinda Heights 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 Melinda Heights Elementary compares
Melinda Heights 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 | 25.7:1 | ▲ 20% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.0% | ▼ 73% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 950 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.7:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
950
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% 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
25.7:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 84% in California - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
15.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,733
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 + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 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 51.3%
Hispanic or Latino 23.8%
Asian 13.7%
Two or More 10.1%
African American 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 51.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.1, Melinda Heights Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Saddleback Valley Unified, which includes Melinda Heights Elementary.
$13,733
Per student
-17%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.6%
State 29.5%
Federal 7.9%
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 Melinda Heights Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trabuco Hills High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| El Toro High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mission Viejo High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Laguna Hills High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Melinda Heights Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,475
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,902
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,566
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,317
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,153
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Rancho Santa Margarita
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Trabuco Mesa Elementary
Standard public school
640 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
Arroyo Vista Elementary
Standard public school
508 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
Cielo Vista Elementary
Standard public school
487 students 20.3:1 students per teacher
Las Flores Elementary
Standard public school
328 students 23.4:1 students per teacher
Tijeras Creek Elementary
Standard public school
315 students 22.5:1 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 (~950 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Melinda Heights Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Melinda Heights Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Saddleback Valley 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 Melinda Heights Elementary
How many students attend Melinda Heights Elementary?
Melinda Heights Elementary has 950 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Melinda Heights Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Melinda Heights Elementary is 25.7:1, which is 20% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 64% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Melinda Heights Elementary?
15.0% of students at Melinda Heights Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Melinda Heights Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Melinda Heights Elementary is White at 51.3% of enrollment, in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Melinda Heights Elementary?
Melinda Heights Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Melinda Heights Elementary rank among elementary schools in Rancho Santa Margarita?
By Resource Investment Index, Melinda Heights Elementary ranks #1 of 6 elementary schools in Rancho Santa Margarita, 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 Rancho Santa Margarita on the city page.
Is Melinda Heights Elementary a good school?
Melinda Heights Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% 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 Saddleback Valley Unified?
Besides Melinda Heights Elementary, Saddleback Valley Unified also operates Trabuco Hills High (2,475 students), El Toro High (1,902 students), and Mission Viejo High (1,566 students). See the Saddleback Valley Unified district page for the complete list.
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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.