Enrollment
809
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Trabuco Canyon, CA
Portola Hills Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Portola Hills Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063386000770
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Portola Hills Elementary earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Trabuco Canyon · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 30:1
- large classes for California
- 9.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Portola Hills Elementary has class sizes larger than 96% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Portola Hills Elementary ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Trabuco Canyon, CA.
School address
District: Saddleback Valley Unified · California
NCES ID 063386000770 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
30:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
9.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-83% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Portola Hills Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Portola Hills Elementary
Portola Hills Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Trabuco Canyon, California, enrolling 809 students.
Class loads run heavy: 30:1 is larger than about 96% of California schools and 40% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 9.2% free-meal eligibility runs 83% below the California average.
Enrollment of 809 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 692 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #84.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and Asian (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
11.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Trabuco Canyon's elementary schools, it stands alongside Robinson Elementary (486 students): Portola Hills Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (30:1 vs 23.1:1).
Saddleback Valley Unified also operates Trabuco Hills High (2,475 students) and El Toro High (1,902 students) alongside Portola Hills 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 Hills Elementary compares
Portola Hills 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 | 30:1 | ▲ 40% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 9.2% | ▼ 83% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 809 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
30:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
809
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
9.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 83% 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
30:1
students per teacher
- 40% above state mean
Top 96% in California - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
11.7%
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
$13,733
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 + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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 43.8%
Asian 24.1%
Hispanic or Latino 15.6%
Two or More 15.5%
African American 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 43.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.2, Portola Hills Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Saddleback Valley Unified, which includes Portola Hills Elementary.
$13,733
Per student
-17%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.6%
State 29.5%
Federal 7.9%
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 Portola Hills Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trabuco Hills High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| El Toro High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mission Viejo High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Laguna Hills High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Portola Hills Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,475
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,902
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,566
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,317
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,153
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Trabuco Canyon
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~809 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~30:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Portola Hills Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Portola Hills Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Saddleback Valley 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 Portola Hills Elementary
How many students attend Portola Hills Elementary?
Portola Hills Elementary has 809 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Trabuco Canyon, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Portola Hills Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Portola Hills Elementary is 30:1, which is 40% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 91% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Portola Hills Elementary?
9.2% of students at Portola Hills Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Portola Hills Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Portola Hills Elementary is White at 43.8% of enrollment, in Trabuco Canyon, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Portola Hills Elementary?
Portola Hills Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Hills Elementary rank among elementary schools in Trabuco Canyon?
By Resource Investment Index, Portola Hills Elementary ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Trabuco Canyon, 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 Trabuco Canyon on the city page.
Is Portola Hills Elementary a good school?
Portola Hills Elementary earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% 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 Saddleback Valley Unified?
Besides Portola Hills Elementary, Saddleback Valley Unified also operates Trabuco Hills High (2,475 students), El Toro High (1,902 students), and Mission Viejo High (1,566 students). See the Saddleback Valley 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.