Enrollment
364
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Novato, CA
Olive Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Olive Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062772004192
👥 S:T ratio 9
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Olive Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #4 of 9
- elementary schools in Novato · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.8:1
- students per teacher
- 34.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Olive Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Olive Elementary ranks #4 of 9 elementary schools in Novato, CA.
School address
District: Novato Unified · California
NCES ID 062772004192 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Olive Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Olive Elementary
Olive Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Novato, California, enrolling 364 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 22.8:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 34.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 364 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 964 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #93, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (42%) and White (40%) (diversity index 65/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Novato's elementary schools, it stands alongside Hamilton Meadow Park (544 students): Olive Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (22.8:1 vs 22.7:1).
Novato Unified also operates Novato High (1,287 students) and San Marin High (1,250 students) alongside Olive 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 Olive Elementary compares
Olive 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 | 34.0% | ▼ 39% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 364 | top 66% | - | - |
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.
364
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% 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
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
18.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,065
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
Hispanic or Latino 42.0%
White 39.6%
Two or More 12.1%
African American 2.7%
Asian 2.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 42.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.1, Olive Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Novato Unified, which includes Olive Elementary.
$14,065
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.1%
State 43.5%
Federal 7.4%
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 Olive Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novato High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Marin High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sinaloa Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| San Jose Intermediate | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hamilton Meadow Park | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Olive Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,287
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,250
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 693
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 559
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 544
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar elementary schools in Novato
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Hamilton Meadow Park
Standard public school
544 students 22.7:1 students per teacher
Pleasant Valley Elementary
Standard public school
464 students 27.3:1 students per teacher
San Ramon Elementary
Standard public school
456 students 25.3:1 students per teacher
Loma Verde Elementary
Standard public school
426 students 25.1:1 students per teacher
Rancho Elementary
Standard public school
387 students 27.6:1 students per teacher
Lu Sutton Elementary
Standard public school
367 students 24.5:1 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 (~364 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Olive Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Olive Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Novato 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 Olive Elementary
How many students attend Olive Elementary?
Olive Elementary has 364 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Novato, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Olive Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Olive 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 Olive Elementary?
34.0% of students at Olive Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Olive Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Olive Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 42.0% of enrollment, in Novato, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Olive Elementary?
Olive Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Olive Elementary rank among elementary schools in Novato?
By Resource Investment Index, Olive Elementary ranks #4 of 9 elementary schools in Novato, 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 Novato on the city page.
Is Olive Elementary a good school?
Olive Elementary earns 44/100 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 Novato Unified?
Besides Olive Elementary, Novato Unified also operates Novato High (1,287 students), San Marin High (1,250 students), and Sinaloa Middle (693 students). See the Novato 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.