Enrollment
551
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Jose, CA
Murdock-Portal Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Murdock-Portal 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 061029005406
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 87
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Murdock-Portal Elementary earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of California schools.
- #32 of 154
- elementary schools in San Jose · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25:1
- large classes for California
- 2.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Murdock-Portal Elementary has class sizes larger than 79% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Murdock-Portal Elementary ranks #32 of 154 elementary schools in San Jose, CA.
School address
District: Cupertino Union · California
NCES ID 061029005406 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
2.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-96% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Murdock-Portal Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Murdock-Portal Elementary
Murdock-Portal Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in San Jose, California, enrolling 551 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 2.3% free-meal eligibility runs 96% below the California average.
With 551 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 544 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #212.
Its student body is predominantly Asian (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among San Jose's elementary schools, it stands alongside Easterbrook Discovery (952 students): Murdock-Portal Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25:1 vs 22.1:1).
Cupertino Union also operates Cupertino Middle (1,067 students) and Joaquin Miller Middle (1,067 students) alongside Murdock-Portal 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 Murdock-Portal Elementary compares
Murdock-Portal 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 | 25:1 | ▲ 16% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 2.3% | ▼ 96% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 551 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
551
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
2.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 96% 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
25:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 79% in California - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
5.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$14,632
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 + 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
Asian 86.9%
Two or More 10.9%
White 1.1%
Hispanic or Latino 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Asian at 86.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 23.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 23.3, Murdock-Portal Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cupertino Union, which includes Murdock-Portal Elementary.
$14,632
Per student
-11%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.6%
State 33.6%
Federal 5.9%
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 Murdock-Portal Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cupertino Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Joaquin Miller Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John F. Kennedy Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sam H. Lawson Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Louis E. Stocklmeir Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Murdock-Portal Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,067
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,067
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 880
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 841
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 840
- Students per teacher
- 25.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar elementary schools in San Jose
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Easterbrook Discovery
Standard public school
952 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Merritt Trace Elementary
Standard public school
829 students 23:1 students per teacher
Orchard Elementary
Standard public school
740 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Tom Matsumoto Elementary
Standard public school
727 students 24.2:1 students per teacher
Herman (Leonard) Intermediate
Standard public school
723 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Booksin Elementary
Standard public school
715 students 23.8:1 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 (~551 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Murdock-Portal Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Murdock-Portal Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Cupertino Union'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 Murdock-Portal Elementary
How many students attend Murdock-Portal Elementary?
Murdock-Portal Elementary has 551 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Jose, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Murdock-Portal Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Murdock-Portal Elementary is 25:1, which is 16% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 59% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Murdock-Portal Elementary?
2.3% of students at Murdock-Portal Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Murdock-Portal Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Murdock-Portal Elementary is Asian at 86.9% of enrollment, in San Jose, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Murdock-Portal Elementary?
Murdock-Portal Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Murdock-Portal Elementary rank among elementary schools in San Jose?
By Resource Investment Index, Murdock-Portal Elementary ranks #32 of 154 elementary schools in San Jose, 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 San Jose on the city page.
Is Murdock-Portal Elementary a good school?
Murdock-Portal Elementary earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% 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 Cupertino Union?
Besides Murdock-Portal Elementary, Cupertino Union also operates Cupertino Middle (1,067 students), Joaquin Miller Middle (1,067 students), and John F. Kennedy Middle (880 students). See the Cupertino Union 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.