Enrollment
570
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · South Pasadena, CA
Monterey Hills Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Monterey Hills 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 063750006334
👥 S:T ratio 9
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Monterey Hills Elementary earns 39/100 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 3
- elementary schools in South Pasadena · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.8:1
- students per teacher
- 14.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Monterey Hills Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Monterey Hills Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in South Pasadena, CA.
School address
District: South Pasadena Unified · California
NCES ID 063750006334 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-74% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Monterey Hills Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Monterey Hills Elementary
Monterey Hills Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in South Pasadena, California, enrolling 570 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 22.8:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 14.3% free-meal eligibility runs 74% below the California average.
With 570 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,131 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #386.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (35%) and Asian (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1140 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among South Pasadena's elementary schools, it stands alongside Marengo Elementary (783 students): Monterey Hills Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.8:1 vs 28:1).
South Pasadena Unified also operates South Pasadena Senior High (1,536 students) and South Pasadena Middle (1,096 students) alongside Monterey Hills 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 Monterey Hills Elementary compares
Monterey Hills 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 | 22.8:1 | ▲ 6% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.3% | ▼ 74% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 570 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.8:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
570
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 74% 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
22.8:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 61% in California - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
8.8%
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
0
in-school suspensions + 1 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
Hispanic or Latino 34.6%
Asian 30.1%
White 16.9%
Two or More 16.7%
African American 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 34.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.3, Monterey Hills 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 Monterey Hills 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 Monterey Hills Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Pasadena Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Pasadena Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Marengo Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Arroyo Vista Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Monterey Hills 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
- 783
- Students per teacher
- 28:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 667
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
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 (~570 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Monterey Hills Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Monterey Hills 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 Monterey Hills Elementary
How many students attend Monterey Hills Elementary?
Monterey Hills Elementary has 570 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in South Pasadena, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Monterey Hills Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Monterey Hills Elementary is 22.8:1, which is 6% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 45% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Monterey Hills Elementary?
14.3% of students at Monterey Hills Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Monterey Hills Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Monterey Hills Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 34.6% of enrollment, in South Pasadena, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Monterey Hills Elementary?
Monterey Hills 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 Monterey Hills Elementary rank among elementary schools in South Pasadena?
By Resource Investment Index, Monterey Hills 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 Monterey Hills Elementary a good school?
Monterey Hills Elementary earns 39/100 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 South Pasadena Unified?
Besides Monterey Hills Elementary, South Pasadena Unified also operates South Pasadena Senior High (1,536 students), South Pasadena Middle (1,096 students), and Marengo Elementary (783 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.