Enrollment
524
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Sunnyvale, CA
Ponderosa Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Ponderosa Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063543006049
👥 S:T ratio 5
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ponderosa Elementary earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #13 of 13
- elementary schools in Sunnyvale · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.8:1
- large classes for California
- 26.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Ponderosa Elementary has class sizes larger than 70% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ponderosa Elementary ranks #13 of 13 elementary schools in Sunnyvale, CA.
School address
District: Santa Clara Unified · California
NCES ID 063543006049 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-52% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ponderosa Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ponderosa Elementary
Ponderosa Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Sunnyvale, California, enrolling 524 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.8:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 524 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,339 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,138, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Asian (39%) and Hispanic or Latino (36%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 524 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Santa Clara Unified spends $24,038 per pupil, 46% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Sunnyvale's elementary schools, it stands alongside Louis E. Stocklmeir Elementary (840 students): Ponderosa Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (23.8:1 vs 25.5:1).
Santa Clara Unified also operates Santa Clara High (1,663 students) and Adrian Wilcox High (1,614 students) alongside Ponderosa 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 Ponderosa Elementary compares
Ponderosa 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 | 23.8:1 | ▲ 11% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.9% | ▼ 52% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 524 | top 42% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.8:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
524
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 52% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
23.8:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 70% in California - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
18.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$24,038
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 524 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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 38.7%
Hispanic or Latino 35.9%
White 16.8%
Two or More 6.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.3%
African American 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Asian at 38.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.9, Ponderosa Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Santa Clara Unified, which includes Ponderosa Elementary.
$24,038
Per student
+46%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+45%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 81.9%
State 13.2%
Federal 4.9%
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 Ponderosa Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Adrian Wilcox High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Juan Cabrillo Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Marian a. Peterson Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Buchser Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ponderosa Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,663
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,614
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 796
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 759
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 711
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar elementary schools in Sunnyvale
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Louis E. Stocklmeir Elementary
Standard public school
840 students 25.5:1 students per teacher
Ellis Elementary
Standard public school
768 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Cherry Chase Elementary
Standard public school
622 students 21.4:1 students per teacher
Cumberland Elementary
Standard public school
586 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Bishop Elementary
Standard public school
465 students 21.1:1 students per teacher
Vargas Elementary
Standard public school
435 students 20.7:1 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 (~524 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ponderosa Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Ponderosa Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Santa Clara 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 Ponderosa Elementary
How many students attend Ponderosa Elementary?
Ponderosa Elementary has 524 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Sunnyvale, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ponderosa Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ponderosa Elementary is 23.8:1, which is 11% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 52% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ponderosa Elementary?
26.9% of students at Ponderosa Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ponderosa Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ponderosa Elementary is Asian at 38.7% of enrollment, in Sunnyvale, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ponderosa Elementary?
Ponderosa Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (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 Ponderosa Elementary rank among elementary schools in Sunnyvale?
By Resource Investment Index, Ponderosa Elementary ranks #13 of 13 elementary schools in Sunnyvale, 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 Sunnyvale on the city page.
Is Ponderosa Elementary a good school?
Ponderosa Elementary earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of California schools. 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 Santa Clara Unified?
Besides Ponderosa Elementary, Santa Clara Unified also operates Santa Clara High (1,663 students), Adrian Wilcox High (1,614 students), and Juan Cabrillo Middle (796 students). See the Santa Clara 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.