Enrollment
538
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Laguna Niguel, CA
Moulton Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Moulton Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060744000695
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Moulton Elementary earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of California schools.
- #5 of 8
- elementary schools in Laguna Niguel · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.6:1
- large classes for California
- 23.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Moulton Elementary has class sizes larger than 83% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Moulton Elementary ranks #5 of 8 elementary schools in Laguna Niguel, CA.
School address
District: Capistrano Unified · California
NCES ID 060744000695 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
-58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Moulton Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Moulton Elementary
Moulton Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Laguna Niguel, California, enrolling 538 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.6:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 23.1% free-meal eligibility runs 58% below the California average.
With 538 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,338 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,019, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (62%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1076 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Laguna Niguel's elementary schools, it stands alongside Community Roots Academy (780 students): Moulton Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.6:1 vs 19.5:1).
Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students) and San Juan Hills High (2,641 students) alongside Moulton 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 Moulton Elementary compares
Moulton 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 | 25.6:1 | ▲ 19% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.1% | ▼ 58% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 538 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.6:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
538
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 58% 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
25.6:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 83% in California - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
26.2%
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
$14,421
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
1
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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 61.5%
Hispanic or Latino 15.8%
Two or More 15.1%
Asian 6.5%
African American 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 61.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.0, Moulton Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Capistrano Unified, which includes Moulton Elementary.
$14,421
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 61.2%
State 31.0%
Federal 7.7%
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 Moulton Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Clemente High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Juan Hills High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aliso Niguel High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tesoro High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Capistrano Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Moulton Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,740
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,641
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,563
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,030
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,991
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Laguna Niguel
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Community Roots Academy
Standard public school
780 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
John Malcom Elementary
Standard public school
553 students 25.1:1 students per teacher
Laguna Niguel Elementary
Standard public school
456 students 26.8:1 students per teacher
Marian Bergeson Elementary
Standard public school
423 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
George White Elementary
Standard public school
378 students 23.6:1 students per teacher
Hidden Hills Elementary
Standard public school
330 students 25.4:1 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 (~538 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Moulton Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Moulton Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Capistrano 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 Moulton Elementary
How many students attend Moulton Elementary?
Moulton Elementary has 538 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Laguna Niguel, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Moulton Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Moulton Elementary is 25.6:1, which is 19% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 63% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Moulton Elementary?
23.1% of students at Moulton Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Moulton Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Moulton Elementary is White at 61.5% of enrollment, in Laguna Niguel, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Moulton Elementary?
Moulton Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (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 Moulton Elementary rank among elementary schools in Laguna Niguel?
By Resource Investment Index, Moulton Elementary ranks #5 of 8 elementary schools in Laguna Niguel, 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 Laguna Niguel on the city page.
Is Moulton Elementary a good school?
Moulton Elementary earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% 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 Capistrano Unified?
Besides Moulton Elementary, Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students), San Juan Hills High (2,641 students), and Aliso Niguel High (2,563 students). See the Capistrano 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.