Enrollment
719
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Upland, CA
Pepper Tree Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Pepper Tree Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060001609678
👥 S:T ratio 1
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 76
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pepper Tree Elementary earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of California schools.
- #1 of 10
- elementary schools in Upland · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 24.8:1
- large classes for California
- 23.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Pepper Tree Elementary has class sizes larger than 78% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pepper Tree Elementary ranks #1 of 10 elementary schools in Upland, CA.
School address
District: Upland Unified · California
NCES ID 060001609678 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-57% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pepper Tree Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pepper Tree Elementary
Pepper Tree Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Upland, California, enrolling 719 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.8:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 23.9% free-meal eligibility runs 57% below the California average.
Enrollment of 719 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 91% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 1,274 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #66, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (48%) and White (30%) (diversity index 66/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Upland's elementary schools, it stands alongside Baldy View Elementary (624 students): Pepper Tree Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24.8:1 vs 28.4:1).
Upland Unified also operates Upland High (2,797 students) and Pioneer Junior High (771 students) alongside Pepper Tree 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 Tree Elementary compares
Pepper Tree 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 | 24.8:1 | ▲ 15% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.9% | ▼ 57% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 719 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.8:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
719
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 57% 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
24.8:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 78% in California - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
9.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$14,699
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
2
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.5 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
Hispanic or Latino 47.8%
White 29.9%
Asian 15.7%
Two or More 4.6%
African American 1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 47.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.5, Pepper Tree Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Upland Unified, which includes Pepper Tree Elementary.
$14,699
Per student
-11%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.3%
State 59.5%
Federal 10.2%
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 Tree Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upland High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pioneer Junior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Baldy View Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Upland Junior High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Valencia Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pepper Tree Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,797
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 771
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 624
- Students per teacher
- 28.4:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 599
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 571
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar elementary schools in Upland
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Baldy View Elementary
Standard public school
624 students 28.4:1 students per teacher
Valencia Elementary
Standard public school
571 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Cabrillo Elementary
Standard public school
522 students 22.7:1 students per teacher
Foothill Knolls Academy of Innovation
Standard public school
514 students 23.4:1 students per teacher
Magnolia Elementary
Standard public school
506 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Citrus Elementary
Standard public school
494 students 21.5:1 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 (~719 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pepper Tree Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Pepper Tree Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Upland 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 Pepper Tree Elementary
How many students attend Pepper Tree Elementary?
Pepper Tree Elementary has 719 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Upland, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pepper Tree Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Pepper Tree Elementary is 24.8:1, which is 15% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 58% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pepper Tree Elementary?
23.9% of students at Pepper Tree Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pepper Tree Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Pepper Tree Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 47.8% of enrollment, in Upland, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pepper Tree Elementary?
Pepper Tree Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher 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 Pepper Tree Elementary rank among elementary schools in Upland?
By Resource Investment Index, Pepper Tree Elementary ranks #1 of 10 elementary schools in Upland, 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 Upland on the city page.
Is Pepper Tree Elementary a good school?
Pepper Tree Elementary earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% 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 Upland Unified?
Besides Pepper Tree Elementary, Upland Unified also operates Upland High (2,797 students), Pioneer Junior High (771 students), and Baldy View Elementary (624 students). See the Upland 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.