Enrollment
661
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · El Cajon, CA
Pepper Drive Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Pepper Drive Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 19/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063588006142
👥 S:T ratio 6
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pepper Drive Elementary earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #19 of 24
- elementary schools in El Cajon · Resource Index
- 19
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.6:1
- students per teacher
- 52.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Pepper Drive Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pepper Drive Elementary ranks #19 of 24 elementary schools in El Cajon, CA.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pepper Drive Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pepper Drive Elementary
Pepper Drive Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in El Cajon, California, enrolling 661 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.6:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 52.5% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 661 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,505 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,102, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and Hispanic or Latino (39%) (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 661 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Santee spends $13,289 per pupil, 20% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among El Cajon's elementary schools, it stands alongside Naranca Elementary (985 students): Pepper Drive Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (23.6:1 vs 30.8:1).
Santee also operates Rio Seco Elementary (913 students) and Cajon Park Elementary (830 students) alongside Pepper Drive 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 Pepper Drive Elementary compares
Pepper Drive 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 | 23.6:1 | ▲ 10% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.5% | ▼ 5% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 661 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.6:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
661
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
23.6:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 68% in California - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
40.8%
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
$13,289
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 661 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.5 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
White 43.6%
Hispanic or Latino 38.9%
Two or More 8.2%
Asian 4.7%
African American 4.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 43.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.8, Pepper Drive Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Santee, which includes Pepper Drive Elementary.
$13,289
Per student
-20%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.8%
State 54.5%
Federal 9.7%
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 Pepper Drive Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Seco Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cajon Park Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Carlton Oaks Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hill Creek Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chet F. Harritt Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pepper Drive Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 913
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 830
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 823
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 606
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar elementary schools in El Cajon
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Naranca Elementary
Standard public school
985 students 30.8:1 students per teacher
Lexington Elementary
Standard public school
878 students 27.4:1 students per teacher
Johnson Elementary
Standard public school
766 students 28.4:1 students per teacher
Chase Avenue Elementary
Standard public school
757 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Flying Hills School of Arts
Standard public school
742 students 26.5:1 students per teacher
Magnolia Elementary
Standard public school
703 students 29.3:1 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 (~661 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pepper Drive Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Pepper Drive Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Santee'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 Pepper Drive Elementary
How many students attend Pepper Drive Elementary?
Pepper Drive Elementary has 661 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in El Cajon, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pepper Drive Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Pepper Drive Elementary is 23.6:1, which is 10% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 50% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pepper Drive Elementary?
52.5% of students at Pepper Drive Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pepper Drive Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Pepper Drive Elementary is White at 43.6% of enrollment, in El Cajon, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pepper Drive Elementary?
Pepper Drive Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (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 Pepper Drive Elementary rank among elementary schools in El Cajon?
By Resource Investment Index, Pepper Drive Elementary ranks #19 of 24 elementary schools in El Cajon, 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 El Cajon on the city page.
Is Pepper Drive Elementary a good school?
Pepper Drive Elementary earns 19/100 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 Santee?
Besides Pepper Drive Elementary, Santee also operates Rio Seco Elementary (913 students), Cajon Park Elementary (830 students), and Carlton Oaks Elementary (823 students). See the Santee 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.