Enrollment
627
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Jose, CA
Oster Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Oster Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 064032006678
👥 S:T ratio 4
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 81
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Oster Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of California schools.
- #36 of 154
- elementary schools in San Jose · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.1:1
- large classes for California
- 8.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Oster Elementary has class sizes larger than 72% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Oster Elementary ranks #36 of 154 elementary schools in San Jose, CA.
School address
District: Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 064032006678 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
8.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
-85% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Oster Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Oster Elementary
Oster Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in San Jose, California, enrolling 627 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.1:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 8.6% free-meal eligibility runs 85% below the California average.
Enrollment of 627 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 825 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #343.
Its student body is led by Asian (52%) and White (24%) (diversity index 64/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.8% 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): Oster Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.1:1 vs 22.1:1).
Union Elementary also operates Union Middle (1,068 students) and Dartmouth Middle (903 students) alongside Oster 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 Oster Elementary compares
Oster 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 | 24.1:1 | ▲ 12% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 8.6% | ▼ 85% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 627 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.1:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
627
Bigger than 75% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
8.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 85% 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
24.1:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 72% in California - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
7.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$14,405
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 + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 51.5%
White 23.6%
Hispanic or Latino 17.9%
Two or More 6.1%
African American 1.0%
Largest group: Asian at 51.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.3, Oster Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Union Elementary, which includes Oster Elementary.
$14,405
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.2%
State 34.0%
Federal 5.8%
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 Oster Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dartmouth Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Carlton Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alta Vista Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Guadalupe Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Oster Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,068
- Students per teacher
- 25.4:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 903
- Students per teacher
- 25.1:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 656
- Students per teacher
- 28.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 584
- Students per teacher
- 27.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 537
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
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 (~627 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Oster Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Oster Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Union Elementary'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 Oster Elementary
How many students attend Oster Elementary?
Oster Elementary has 627 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Jose, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Oster Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Oster Elementary is 24.1:1, which is 12% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 54% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Oster Elementary?
8.6% of students at Oster Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Oster Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Oster Elementary is Asian at 51.5% of enrollment, in San Jose, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Oster Elementary?
Oster Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Oster Elementary rank among elementary schools in San Jose?
By Resource Investment Index, Oster Elementary ranks #36 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 Oster Elementary a good school?
Oster Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% 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 Union Elementary?
Besides Oster Elementary, Union Elementary also operates Union Middle (1,068 students), Dartmouth Middle (903 students), and Carlton Elementary (656 students). See the Union Elementary 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.