Enrollment
464
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Novato, CA
Pleasant Valley Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Pleasant Valley Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062772004193
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 74
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pleasant Valley Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of California schools.
- #6 of 9
- elementary schools in Novato · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 27.3:1
- large classes for California
- 8.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Pleasant Valley Elementary has class sizes larger than 90% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pleasant Valley Elementary ranks #6 of 9 elementary schools in Novato, CA.
School address
District: Novato Unified · California
NCES ID 062772004193 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
8.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-85% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pleasant Valley Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pleasant Valley Elementary
Pleasant Valley Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Novato, California, enrolling 464 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.3:1 is larger than about 90% of California schools and 27% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 8.3% free-meal eligibility runs 85% below the California average.
With 464 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 748 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #431.
Its student body is led by White (62%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 55/100).
10.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Novato's elementary schools, it stands alongside Hamilton Meadow Park (544 students): Pleasant Valley Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (27.3:1 vs 22.7:1).
Novato Unified also operates Novato High (1,287 students) and San Marin High (1,250 students) alongside Pleasant Valley 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 Pleasant Valley Elementary compares
Pleasant Valley 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 | 27.3:1 | ▲ 27% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 8.3% | ▼ 85% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 464 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.3:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
464
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
8.3%
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
27.3:1
students per teacher
- 27% above state mean
Top 90% in California - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
10.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
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
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 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
White 62.1%
Hispanic or Latino 22.6%
Two or More 12.9%
Asian 1.9%
African American 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 62.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.6, Pleasant Valley Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Novato Unified, which includes Pleasant Valley 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 Pleasant Valley Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novato High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Marin High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sinaloa Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Jose Intermediate | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hamilton Meadow Park | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pleasant Valley 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
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
Olive Elementary
Standard public school
364 students 22.8:1 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 (~464 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~27.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pleasant Valley Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Pleasant Valley 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 Pleasant Valley Elementary
How many students attend Pleasant Valley Elementary?
Pleasant Valley Elementary has 464 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Novato, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pleasant Valley Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Pleasant Valley Elementary is 27.3:1, which is 27% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 74% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pleasant Valley Elementary?
8.3% of students at Pleasant Valley Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pleasant Valley Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Pleasant Valley Elementary is White at 62.1% of enrollment, in Novato, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pleasant Valley Elementary?
Pleasant Valley Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Pleasant Valley Elementary rank among elementary schools in Novato?
By Resource Investment Index, Pleasant Valley Elementary ranks #6 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 Pleasant Valley Elementary a good school?
Pleasant Valley Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% 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 Novato Unified?
Besides Pleasant Valley 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.