Enrollment
387
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Novato, CA
Rancho Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Rancho Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062772004194
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 87
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rancho Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of California schools.
- #1 of 9
- elementary schools in Novato · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 27.6:1
- large classes for California
- 32.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Rancho Elementary has class sizes larger than 91% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rancho Elementary ranks #1 of 9 elementary schools in Novato, CA.
School address
District: Novato Unified · California
NCES ID 062772004194 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-42% 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 mid-sized elementary school in Novato, California, enrolling 387 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.6:1 is larger than about 91% of California schools and 28% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 387 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 94% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 1,047 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #23, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (46%) and White (40%) (diversity index 62/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Novato's elementary schools, it stands alongside Hamilton Meadow Park (544 students): Rancho Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (27.6:1 vs 22.7:1).
Novato Unified also operates Novato High (1,287 students) and San Marin High (1,250 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 | 27.6:1 | ▲ 28% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.0% | ▼ 42% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 387 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.6:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
387
Bigger than 45% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% 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
27.6:1
students per teacher
- 28% above state mean
Top 91% in California - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
5.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$14,065
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
1
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 46.0%
White 39.5%
Two or More 8.5%
Asian 4.4%
African American 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 46.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.3, Rancho Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Novato Unified, which includes Rancho Elementary.
$14,065
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.1%
State 43.5%
Federal 7.4%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novato High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Marin High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sinaloa Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Jose Intermediate | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hamilton Meadow Park | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower 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
- 1,287
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,250
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 693
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 559
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 544
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar elementary schools in Novato
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Hamilton Meadow Park
Standard public school
544 students 22.7:1 students per teacher
Pleasant Valley Elementary
Standard public school
464 students 27.3:1 students per teacher
San Ramon Elementary
Standard public school
456 students 25.3:1 students per teacher
Loma Verde Elementary
Standard public school
426 students 25.1:1 students per teacher
Lu Sutton Elementary
Standard public school
367 students 24.5:1 students per teacher
Olive Elementary
Standard public school
364 students 22.8:1 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 (~387 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~27.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rancho Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Rancho Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Novato 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 Rancho Elementary
How many students attend Rancho Elementary?
Rancho Elementary has 387 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Novato, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rancho Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Rancho Elementary is 27.6:1, which is 28% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 76% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Rancho Elementary?
32.0% 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 46.0% of enrollment, in Novato, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rancho Elementary?
Rancho Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher 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 Novato?
By Resource Investment Index, Rancho Elementary ranks #1 of 9 elementary schools in Novato, 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 Novato on the city page.
Is Rancho Elementary a good school?
Rancho Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% 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 Novato Unified?
Besides Rancho Elementary, Novato Unified also operates Novato High (1,287 students), San Marin High (1,250 students), and Sinaloa Middle (693 students). See the Novato 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.