Enrollment
324
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Spring Valley, CA
Rancho Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Rancho Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 14/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062025002442
👥 S:T ratio 8
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rancho Elementary earns 14/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #5 of 11
- elementary schools in Spring Valley · Resource Index
- 14
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.1:1
- students per teacher
- 58.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Rancho Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rancho Elementary ranks #5 of 11 elementary schools in Spring Valley, CA.
School address
District: La Mesa-Spring Valley · California
NCES ID 062025002442 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
+5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rancho Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rancho Elementary
Rancho Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Spring Valley, California, enrolling 324 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.1:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 58.4% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 324 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,181 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,045, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (65%) and African American (11%) (diversity index 55/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Spring Valley's elementary schools, it stands alongside Sci Tech Engr Arts and Math Acad at La Presa (800 students): Rancho Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (23.1:1 vs 25:1).
La Mesa-Spring Valley also operates La Mesa Arts Academy (1,059 students) and Parkway Sports and Health Science Academy (897 students) alongside Rancho 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 Rancho Elementary compares
Rancho 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 | 23.1:1 | ▲ 7% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.4% | ▲ 5% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 324 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.1:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
324
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
23.1:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 63% in California - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
38.3%
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
$15,084
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 + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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
Hispanic or Latino 65.1%
African American 11.1%
White 8.3%
Two or More 8.0%
Asian 6.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 65.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.7, Rancho Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for La Mesa-Spring Valley, which includes Rancho Elementary.
$15,084
Per student
-9%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.8%
State 50.7%
Federal 18.5%
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 Rancho Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Mesa Arts Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Parkway Sports and Health Science Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sci Tech Engr Arts and Math Acad at La Presa | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Murdock Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spring Valley Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rancho Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,059
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 897
- Students per teacher
- 30.9:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 800
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 608
- Students per teacher
- 27.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 597
- Students per teacher
- 28.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar elementary schools in Spring Valley
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Sci Tech Engr Arts and Math Acad at La Presa
Standard public school
800 students 25:1 students per teacher
Kempton Street Literacy Academy
Standard public school
480 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
College Preparatory Middle
Standard public school
397 students 20.9:1 students per teacher
Bancroft Elementary
Standard public school
391 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Sweetwater Springs Elementary
Standard public school
378 students 22.2:1 students per teacher
Highlands Elementary
Standard public school
357 students 18.8:1 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 (~324 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rancho Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Rancho Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- La Mesa-Spring Valley'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 Rancho Elementary
How many students attend Rancho Elementary?
Rancho Elementary has 324 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Spring Valley, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rancho Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Rancho Elementary is 23.1:1, which is 7% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 47% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Rancho Elementary?
58.4% of students at Rancho Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rancho Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Rancho Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 65.1% of enrollment, in Spring Valley, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rancho Elementary?
Rancho Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 14/100 (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 Rancho Elementary rank among elementary schools in Spring Valley?
By Resource Investment Index, Rancho Elementary ranks #5 of 11 elementary schools in Spring Valley, 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 Spring Valley on the city page.
Is Rancho Elementary a good school?
Rancho Elementary earns 14/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 La Mesa-Spring Valley?
Besides Rancho Elementary, La Mesa-Spring Valley also operates La Mesa Arts Academy (1,059 students), Parkway Sports and Health Science Academy (897 students), and Sci Tech Engr Arts and Math Acad at La Presa (800 students). See the La Mesa-Spring Valley 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.