Enrollment
896
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lake Forest, CA
Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063386005298
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of California schools.
- #4 of 7
- elementary schools in Lake Forest · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 26.4:1
- large classes for California
- 52.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary has class sizes larger than 87% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary ranks #4 of 7 elementary schools in Lake Forest, CA.
School address
District: Saddleback Valley Unified · California
NCES ID 063386005298 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary
Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary is a higher-need, large elementary school in Lake Forest, California, enrolling 896 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.4:1 is larger than about 87% of California schools and 23% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 52.7% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 896 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.
Among 1,039 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #73, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Lake Forest's elementary schools, it stands alongside Lake Forest Elementary (640 students): Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (26.4:1 vs 23.7:1).
Saddleback Valley Unified also operates Trabuco Hills High (2,475 students) and El Toro High (1,902 students) alongside Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet 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 Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary compares
Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet 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 | 26.4:1 | ▲ 23% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.7% | ▼ 5% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 896 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.4:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
896
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
26.4:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 87% in California - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
19.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Hispanic or Latino 81.4%
White 11.9%
Two or More 3.7%
Asian 2.0%
African American 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 81.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.1, Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary is less 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 Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet 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 Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trabuco Hills High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| El Toro High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mission Viejo High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Laguna Hills High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet 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 Lake Forest
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Lake Forest Elementary
Standard public school
640 students 23.7:1 students per teacher
Rancho Canada Elementary
Standard public school
633 students 25.3:1 students per teacher
Oxford Preparatory Academy - Saddleback Valley
Standard public school
565 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
La Madera Elementary
Standard public school
554 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
Santiago Steam Magnet Elementary
Standard public school
517 students 27.2:1 students per teacher
Olivewood Elementary
Standard public school
396 students 22:1 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 (~896 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet 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 Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary
How many students attend Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary?
Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary has 896 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lake Forest, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary is 26.4:1, which is 23% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 68% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary?
52.7% of students at Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 81.4% of enrollment, in Lake Forest, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary?
Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary rank among elementary schools in Lake Forest?
By Resource Investment Index, Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary ranks #4 of 7 elementary schools in Lake Forest, 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 Lake Forest on the city page.
Is Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary a good school?
Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% 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 Saddleback Valley Unified?
Besides Ralph a. Gates Dli Magnet 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.