Enrollment
378
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Bruno, CA
Portola Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Portola Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063423008626
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Portola Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of California schools.
- #2 of 7
- elementary schools in San Bruno · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 37.8:1
- large classes for California
- 18.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Portola Elementary has class sizes larger than 99% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Portola Elementary ranks #2 of 7 elementary schools in San Bruno, CA.
School address
District: San Bruno Park Elementary · California
NCES ID 063423008626 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
37.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+76% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-67% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Portola Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Portola Elementary
Portola Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in San Bruno, California, enrolling 378 students.
Class loads run heavy: 37.8:1 is larger than about 99% of California schools and 76% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 18.2% free-meal eligibility runs 67% below the California average.
With 378 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 844 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #360.
Its student body is led by Asian (47%) and Hispanic or Latino (26%) (diversity index 66/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among San Bruno's elementary schools, it stands alongside Monte Verde Elementary (517 students): Portola Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (37.8:1 vs 23.5:1).
San Bruno Park Elementary also operates Parkside Intermediate (491 students) and John Muir Elementary (486 students) alongside Portola 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 Portola Elementary compares
Portola 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 | 37.8:1 | ▲ 76% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.2% | ▼ 67% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 378 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
37.8:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
378
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
18.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 67% 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
37.8:1
students per teacher
- 76% above state mean
Top 99% in California - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
9.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$14,553
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
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
Asian 47.1%
Hispanic or Latino 25.7%
Two or More 23.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.4%
African American 1.1%
White 0.5%
Largest group: Asian at 47.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.7, Portola Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Bruno Park Elementary, which includes Portola Elementary.
$14,553
Per student
-12%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 77.9%
State 14.0%
Federal 8.1%
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 Portola Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parkside Intermediate | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John Muir Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Allen (Decima M.) Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Belle Air Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rollingwood Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Portola Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 491
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 486
- Students per teacher
- 30.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 396
- Students per teacher
- 33:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 250
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 201
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
Similar elementary schools in San Bruno
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Monte Verde Elementary
Standard public school
517 students 23.5:1 students per teacher
John Muir Elementary
Standard public school
486 students 30.4:1 students per teacher
Allen (Decima M.) Elementary
Standard public school
396 students 33:1 students per teacher
Lomita Park Elementary
Standard public school
277 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
Belle Air Elementary
Standard public school
250 students 25:1 students per teacher
Rollingwood Elementary
Standard public school
201 students 22.3:1 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 (~378 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Portola Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Portola Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- San Bruno Park Elementary'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 Portola Elementary
How many students attend Portola Elementary?
Portola Elementary has 378 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Bruno, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Portola Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Portola Elementary is 37.8:1, which is 76% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 141% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Portola Elementary?
18.2% of students at Portola Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Portola Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Portola Elementary is Asian at 47.1% of enrollment, in San Bruno, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Portola Elementary?
Portola Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Portola Elementary rank among elementary schools in San Bruno?
By Resource Investment Index, Portola Elementary ranks #2 of 7 elementary schools in San Bruno, 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 San Bruno on the city page.
Is Portola Elementary a good school?
Portola Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% 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 San Bruno Park Elementary?
Besides Portola Elementary, San Bruno Park Elementary also operates Parkside Intermediate (491 students), John Muir Elementary (486 students), and Allen (Decima M.) Elementary (396 students). See the San Bruno Park Elementary 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.