Enrollment
753
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · West Covina, CA
Mesa Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Mesa Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061005001101
👥 S:T ratio 6
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mesa Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #7 of 15
- elementary schools in West Covina · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 23.5:1
- students per teacher
- 36.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Mesa Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mesa Elementary ranks #7 of 15 elementary schools in West Covina, CA.
School address
District: Covina-Valley Unified · California
NCES ID 061005001101 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mesa Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mesa Elementary
Mesa Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in West Covina, California, enrolling 753 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.5:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 36.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 753 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,223 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #502.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (53%) and Asian (34%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 753 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among West Covina's elementary schools, it stands alongside San Jose Charter Academy (1,255 students): Mesa Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.5:1 vs 22.8:1).
Covina-Valley Unified also operates South Hills High (1,568 students) and Northview High (1,247 students) alongside Mesa 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 Mesa Elementary compares
Mesa 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 | 23.5:1 | ▲ 9% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.7% | ▼ 34% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 753 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.5:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
753
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
23.5:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 67% in California - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
19.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$15,106
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 753 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 53.0%
Asian 33.7%
White 7.6%
Two or More 3.3%
African American 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 53.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.8, Mesa Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Covina-Valley Unified, which includes Mesa Elementary.
$15,106
Per student
-8%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.0%
State 61.7%
Federal 12.3%
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 Mesa Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Hills High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northview High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Covina High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Las Palmas Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sierra Vista Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mesa Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,568
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,247
- Students per teacher
- 26.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,056
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 887
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 778
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar elementary schools in West Covina
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
San Jose Charter Academy
Standard public school
1,255 students 22.8:1 students per teacher
Telesis Academy of Science & Math
Standard public school
621 students 21.4:1 students per teacher
Merced Elementary
Standard public school
617 students 29.4:1 students per teacher
Grovecenter Elementary
Standard public school
595 students 25.9:1 students per teacher
Orangewood Elementary
Standard public school
580 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
Merlinda Elementary
Standard public school
460 students 25.6:1 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 (~753 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mesa Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Mesa Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Covina-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 Mesa Elementary
How many students attend Mesa Elementary?
Mesa Elementary has 753 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in West Covina, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mesa Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Mesa Elementary is 23.5:1, which is 9% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 50% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mesa Elementary?
36.7% of students at Mesa Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mesa Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Mesa Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 53.0% of enrollment, in West Covina, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mesa Elementary?
Mesa Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Mesa Elementary rank among elementary schools in West Covina?
By Resource Investment Index, Mesa Elementary ranks #7 of 15 elementary schools in West Covina, 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 West Covina on the city page.
Is Mesa Elementary a good school?
Mesa Elementary earns 32/100 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 Covina-Valley Unified?
Besides Mesa Elementary, Covina-Valley Unified also operates South Hills High (1,568 students), Northview High (1,247 students), and Covina High (1,056 students). See the Covina-Valley 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.