Enrollment
835
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Chula Vista, CA
Salt Creek Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Salt Creek Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060861011126
👥 S:T ratio 4
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Salt Creek Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of California schools.
- #2 of 42
- elementary schools in Chula Vista · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 23.9:1
- large classes for California
- 19.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Salt Creek Elementary has class sizes larger than 70% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Salt Creek Elementary ranks #2 of 42 elementary schools in Chula Vista, CA.
School address
District: Chula Vista Elementary · California
NCES ID 060861011126 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Salt Creek Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Salt Creek Elementary
Salt Creek Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Chula Vista, California, enrolling 835 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.9:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 19.4% free-meal eligibility runs 65% below the California average.
Enrollment of 835 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.
Against 1,033 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #152.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (53%) and Asian (15%) (diversity index 66/100).
15.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Chula Vista's elementary schools, it stands alongside Feaster (Mae L.) Charter (1,095 students): Salt Creek Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.9:1 vs 19.6:1).
Chula Vista Elementary also operates Wolf Canyon Elementary (954 students) and Camarena (Enrique S.) Elementary (889 students) alongside Salt Creek 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 Salt Creek Elementary compares
Salt Creek 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 | 23.9:1 | ▲ 11% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.4% | ▼ 65% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 835 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.9:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
835
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% 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
23.9:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 70% in California - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
15.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$18,653
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 53.1%
Asian 14.7%
Two or More 14.3%
White 12.5%
African American 5.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 53.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.7, Salt Creek Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chula Vista Elementary, which includes Salt Creek Elementary.
$18,653
Per student
+13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.0%
State 47.1%
Federal 12.0%
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 Salt Creek Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wolf Canyon Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Camarena (Enrique S.) Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hedenkamp (Anne and William) Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Veterans Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Muraoka (Saburo) Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Salt Creek Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 954
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 889
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 855
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 832
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 832
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar elementary schools in Chula Vista
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Feaster (Mae L.) Charter
Standard public school
1,095 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Wolf Canyon Elementary
Standard public school
954 students 25.8:1 students per teacher
Discovery Charter
Standard public school
945 students 23.6:1 students per teacher
Arroyo Vista Charter
Standard public school
911 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
Camarena (Enrique S.) Elementary
Standard public school
889 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
Hedenkamp (Anne and William) Elementary
Standard public school
855 students 21.9:1 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 (~835 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Salt Creek Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Salt Creek Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Chula Vista Elementary'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 Salt Creek Elementary
How many students attend Salt Creek Elementary?
Salt Creek Elementary has 835 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Chula Vista, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Salt Creek Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Salt Creek Elementary is 23.9:1, which is 11% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 52% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Salt Creek Elementary?
19.4% of students at Salt Creek Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Salt Creek Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Salt Creek Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 53.1% of enrollment, in Chula Vista, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Salt Creek Elementary?
Salt Creek Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Salt Creek Elementary rank among elementary schools in Chula Vista?
By Resource Investment Index, Salt Creek Elementary ranks #2 of 42 elementary schools in Chula Vista, 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 Chula Vista on the city page.
Is Salt Creek Elementary a good school?
Salt Creek Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% 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 Chula Vista Elementary?
Besides Salt Creek Elementary, Chula Vista Elementary also operates Wolf Canyon Elementary (954 students), Camarena (Enrique S.) Elementary (889 students), and Hedenkamp (Anne and William) Elementary (855 students). See the Chula Vista Elementary 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.