Enrollment
393
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Aptos, CA
Rio Del Mar Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Rio Del Mar Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062949004549
👥 S:T ratio 8
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rio Del Mar Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #3 of 3
- elementary schools in Aptos · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 23.1:1
- students per teacher
- 22.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Rio Del Mar Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rio Del Mar Elementary ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Aptos, CA.
School address
District: Pajaro Valley Unified · California
NCES ID 062949004549 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rio Del Mar Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rio Del Mar Elementary
Rio Del Mar Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Aptos, California, enrolling 393 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.1:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 22.3% free-meal eligibility runs 60% below the California average.
With 393 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,000 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #474.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 54/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Aptos's elementary schools, it stands alongside Valencia Elementary (487 students): Rio Del Mar Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.1:1 vs 20.3:1).
Pajaro Valley Unified also operates Watsonville High (2,215 students) and Pajaro Valley High (1,293 students) alongside Rio Del Mar 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 Rio Del Mar Elementary compares
Rio Del Mar 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 | 22.3% | ▼ 60% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 393 | top 62% | - | - |
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.
393
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% 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
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
30.8%
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
$17,011
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 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
White 63.4%
Hispanic or Latino 22.4%
Two or More 9.9%
Asian 3.3%
African American 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 63.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.7, Rio Del Mar Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pajaro Valley Unified, which includes Rio Del Mar Elementary.
$17,011
Per student
+3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.6%
State 56.5%
Federal 12.9%
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 Rio Del Mar Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watsonville High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pajaro Valley High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aptos High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Alianza Charter | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rolling Hills Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rio Del Mar Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,215
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,293
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,274
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 626
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 588
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
Similar elementary schools in Aptos
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 (~393 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rio Del Mar Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Rio Del Mar Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Pajaro 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 Rio Del Mar Elementary
How many students attend Rio Del Mar Elementary?
Rio Del Mar Elementary has 393 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Aptos, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rio Del Mar Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Rio Del Mar 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 Rio Del Mar Elementary?
22.3% of students at Rio Del Mar Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rio Del Mar Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Rio Del Mar Elementary is White at 63.4% of enrollment, in Aptos, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rio Del Mar Elementary?
Rio Del Mar Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Rio Del Mar Elementary rank among elementary schools in Aptos?
By Resource Investment Index, Rio Del Mar Elementary ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Aptos, 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 Aptos on the city page.
Is Rio Del Mar Elementary a good school?
Rio Del Mar Elementary earns 34/100 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 Pajaro Valley Unified?
Besides Rio Del Mar Elementary, Pajaro Valley Unified also operates Watsonville High (2,215 students), Pajaro Valley High (1,293 students), and Aptos High (1,274 students). See the Pajaro 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.