Enrollment
404
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Pacifica, CA
Ortega Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Ortega Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062046011430
👥 S:T ratio 15
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ortega Elementary earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #4 of 6
- elementary schools in Pacifica · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.3:1
- students per teacher
- 11.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Ortega Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ortega Elementary ranks #4 of 6 elementary schools in Pacifica, CA.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-79% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ortega Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ortega Elementary
Ortega Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Pacifica, California, enrolling 404 students.
At 21.3:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 11.5% free-meal eligibility runs 79% below the California average.
With 404 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 760 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #528.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 337 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Pacifica's elementary schools, it stands alongside Cabrillo Elementary (524 students): Ortega Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.3:1 vs 22.8:1).
Pacifica also operates Cabrillo Elementary (524 students) and Vallemar Elementary (500 students) alongside Ortega 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 Ortega Elementary compares
Ortega 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 | 21.3:1 | ▼ 1% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.5% | ▼ 79% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 404 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.3:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
404
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 79% 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
21.3:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 46% in California - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
21.8%
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
$15,080
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
Counselors1.2 FTE
Per 337 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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 50.5%
Hispanic or Latino 19.1%
Two or More 18.1%
Asian 10.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.0%
African American 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 50.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.4, Ortega Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pacifica, which includes Ortega Elementary.
$15,080
Per student
-9%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.0%
State 67.3%
Federal 5.7%
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 Ortega Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabrillo Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Vallemar Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ingrid B. Lacy Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ocean Shore Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sunset Ridge Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ortega Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 524
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 500
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 484
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 368
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 348
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
Similar elementary schools in Pacifica
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Cabrillo Elementary
Standard public school
524 students 22.8:1 students per teacher
Vallemar Elementary
Standard public school
500 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Ocean Shore Elementary
Standard public school
368 students 19.4:1 students per teacher
Sunset Ridge Elementary
Standard public school
348 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Pacifica Independent Home Study
Alternative education program
12 students 6:1 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 (~404 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ortega Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Ortega Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Pacifica'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 Ortega Elementary
How many students attend Ortega Elementary?
Ortega Elementary has 404 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Pacifica, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ortega Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ortega Elementary is 21.3:1, which is 1% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 36% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ortega Elementary?
11.5% of students at Ortega Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ortega Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ortega Elementary is White at 50.5% of enrollment, in Pacifica, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ortega Elementary?
Ortega Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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 Ortega Elementary rank among elementary schools in Pacifica?
By Resource Investment Index, Ortega Elementary ranks #4 of 6 elementary schools in Pacifica, 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 Pacifica on the city page.
Is Ortega Elementary a good school?
Ortega Elementary earns 31/100 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 Pacifica?
Besides Ortega Elementary, Pacifica also operates Cabrillo Elementary (524 students), Vallemar Elementary (500 students), and Ingrid B. Lacy Middle (484 students). See the Pacifica 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.