Enrollment
359
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · South San Francisco, CA
Ponderosa Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Ponderosa Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063753006349
👥 S:T ratio 20
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ponderosa Elementary earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #3 of 6
- elementary schools in South San Francisco · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.9:1
- students per teacher
- 27.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Ponderosa Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ponderosa Elementary ranks #3 of 6 elementary schools in South San Francisco, CA.
School address
District: South San Francisco Unified · California
NCES ID 063753006349 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-51% 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 South San Francisco, California, enrolling 359 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 27.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 359 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 867 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #631, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (47%) and Asian (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among South San Francisco's elementary schools, it stands alongside Buri Buri Elementary (584 students): Ponderosa Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.9:1 vs 23.4:1).
South San Francisco Unified also operates South San Francisco High (1,239 students) and El Camino High (1,053 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 | 19.9:1 | ▼ 7% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.4% | ▼ 51% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 359 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.9:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
359
Bigger than 41% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% 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
19.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 34% in California - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
29.2%
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
$17,183
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 46.5%
Asian 28.4%
White 13.9%
Two or More 9.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
African American 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 46.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.4, Ponderosa Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South San Francisco Unified, which includes Ponderosa Elementary.
$17,183
Per student
+4%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 76.0%
State 16.7%
Federal 7.3%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| South San Francisco High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| El Camino High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Alta Loma Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Buri Buri Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Parkway Heights 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
- 1,239
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,053
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 652
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 584
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 573
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar elementary schools in South San Francisco
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Buri Buri Elementary
Standard public school
584 students 23.4:1 students per teacher
Spruce Elementary
Standard public school
384 students 21.3:1 students per teacher
Martin Elementary
Standard public school
370 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Sunshine Gardens Elementary
Standard public school
329 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Los Cerritos Elementary
Standard public school
304 students 20.3:1 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 (~359 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ponderosa Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Ponderosa Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- South San Francisco 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 359 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in South San Francisco, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ponderosa Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ponderosa Elementary is 19.9:1, which is 7% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 27% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ponderosa Elementary?
27.4% 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 Hispanic or Latino at 46.5% of enrollment, in South San Francisco, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ponderosa Elementary?
Ponderosa Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (lower 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 Ponderosa Elementary rank among elementary schools in South San Francisco?
By Resource Investment Index, Ponderosa Elementary ranks #3 of 6 elementary schools in South San Francisco, 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 South San Francisco on the city page.
Is Ponderosa Elementary a good school?
Ponderosa Elementary earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 South San Francisco Unified?
Besides Ponderosa Elementary, South San Francisco Unified also operates South San Francisco High (1,239 students), El Camino High (1,053 students), and Alta Loma Middle (652 students). See the South San Francisco 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.