Enrollment
422
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Pacific Grove, CA
Robert Down Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Robert Down 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 062937004527
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 99
📋 Attendance 56
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Robert Down Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Pacific Grove · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 19.2:1
- small classes for California
- 14.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Robert Down Elementary has class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Robert Down Elementary ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Pacific Grove, CA.
School address
District: Pacific Grove Unified · California
NCES ID 062937004527 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-74% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Robert Down Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Robert Down Elementary
Robert Down Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Pacific Grove, California, enrolling 422 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 14.5% free-meal eligibility runs 74% below the California average.
With 422 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 928 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #26, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (56%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 5 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
17.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Pacific Grove Unified spends $23,215 per pupil, 41% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Pacific Grove's elementary schools, it stands alongside Monterey Bay Charter (475 students): Robert Down Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.2:1 vs 25:1).
Pacific Grove Unified also operates Pacific Grove High (552 students) and Pacific Grove Middle (439 students) alongside Robert Down 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 Robert Down Elementary compares
Robert Down 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 | 19.2:1 | ▼ 11% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.5% | ▼ 74% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 422 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.2:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
422
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 74% 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
19.2:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 29% in California - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
17.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$23,215
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors80.0 FTE
Per 5 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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
White 56.4%
Hispanic or Latino 15.9%
Two or More 15.6%
Asian 10.4%
African American 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 56.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.1, Robert Down Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pacific Grove Unified, which includes Robert Down Elementary.
$23,215
Per student
+41%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 76.9%
State 18.1%
Federal 5.1%
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 Robert Down Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Grove High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pacific Grove Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Forest Grove Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Community High (Continuation) | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Robert Down Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 552
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 439
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 324
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 12
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar elementary schools in Pacific Grove
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 (~422 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Robert Down Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Robert Down Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Pacific Grove 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 Robert Down Elementary
How many students attend Robert Down Elementary?
Robert Down Elementary has 422 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Pacific Grove, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Robert Down Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Robert Down Elementary is 19.2:1, which is 11% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Robert Down Elementary?
14.5% of students at Robert Down Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Robert Down Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Robert Down Elementary is White at 56.4% of enrollment, in Pacific Grove, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Robert Down Elementary?
Robert Down Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Robert Down Elementary rank among elementary schools in Pacific Grove?
By Resource Investment Index, Robert Down Elementary ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Pacific Grove, 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 Pacific Grove on the city page.
Is Robert Down Elementary a good school?
Robert Down Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% 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 Pacific Grove Unified?
Besides Robert Down Elementary, Pacific Grove Unified also operates Pacific Grove High (552 students), Pacific Grove Middle (439 students), and Forest Grove Elementary (324 students). See the Pacific Grove 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.