Enrollment
436
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Nipomo, CA
Nipomo Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Nipomo Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062308003524
👥 S:T ratio 13
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Nipomo Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Nipomo · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.8:1
- students per teacher
- 69.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Nipomo Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Nipomo Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Nipomo, CA.
School address
District: Lucia Mar Unified · California
NCES ID 062308003524 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
+25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Nipomo Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Nipomo Elementary
Nipomo Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Nipomo, California, enrolling 436 students.
At 21.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 69.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 436 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 2,011 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #730.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 872 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Nipomo's elementary schools, it stands alongside Dana Elementary (612 students): Nipomo Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.8:1 vs 23.5:1).
Lucia Mar Unified also operates Arroyo Grande High (2,012 students) and Nipomo High (819 students) alongside Nipomo 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 Nipomo Elementary compares
Nipomo 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 | 21.8:1 | ▲ 1% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.4% | ▲ 25% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 436 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.8:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
436
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
69.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.8:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 51% in California - lower ratio than 49% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
26.8%
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
$13,869
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
2
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 80.5%
White 17.0%
Two or More 1.4%
Asian 0.7%
African American 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 80.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.3, Nipomo Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lucia Mar Unified, which includes Nipomo Elementary.
$13,869
Per student
-16%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.3%
State 30.7%
Federal 10.9%
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 Nipomo Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arroyo Grande High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Nipomo High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Harloe Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dana Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lange (Dorothea) Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Nipomo Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,012
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 819
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 619
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 612
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 577
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar elementary schools in Nipomo
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 (~436 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Nipomo Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Nipomo Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lucia Mar 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 Nipomo Elementary
How many students attend Nipomo Elementary?
Nipomo Elementary has 436 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Nipomo, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Nipomo Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Nipomo Elementary is 21.8:1, which is 1% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 39% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Nipomo Elementary?
69.4% of students at Nipomo Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Nipomo Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Nipomo Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 80.5% of enrollment, in Nipomo, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Nipomo Elementary?
Nipomo Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Nipomo Elementary rank among elementary schools in Nipomo?
By Resource Investment Index, Nipomo Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Nipomo, 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 Nipomo on the city page.
Is Nipomo Elementary a good school?
Nipomo Elementary earns 29/100 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 Lucia Mar Unified?
Besides Nipomo Elementary, Lucia Mar Unified also operates Arroyo Grande High (2,012 students), Nipomo High (819 students), and Harloe Elementary (619 students). See the Lucia Mar 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.