Enrollment
834
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Marcos, CA
San Elijo Elementary
Federal NCES profile for San Elijo Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063488011771
👥 S:T ratio 5
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
San Elijo Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of California schools.
- #1 of 11
- elementary schools in San Marcos · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 23.8:1
- large classes for California
- 13.4%
- free-lunch eligible
San Elijo Elementary has class sizes larger than 70% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, San Elijo Elementary ranks #1 of 11 elementary schools in San Marcos, CA.
School address
District: San Marcos Unified · California
NCES ID 063488011771 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-76% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How San Elijo Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at San Elijo Elementary
San Elijo Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in San Marcos, California, enrolling 834 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.8:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 13.4% free-meal eligibility runs 76% below the California average.
Enrollment of 834 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 830 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #180.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 57/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among San Marcos's elementary schools, it stands alongside Double Peak (1,171 students): San Elijo Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.8:1 vs 21.7:1).
San Marcos Unified also operates San Marcos High (3,067 students) and Mission Hills High (2,751 students) alongside San Elijo 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 San Elijo Elementary compares
San Elijo 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 | 23.8:1 | ▲ 11% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.4% | ▼ 76% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 834 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.8:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
834
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 76% 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
23.8:1
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
18.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,965
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 + 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
White 61.2%
Hispanic or Latino 19.5%
Two or More 10.7%
Asian 7.7%
African American 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 61.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.0, San Elijo Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Marcos Unified, which includes San Elijo Elementary.
$13,965
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.7%
State 52.8%
Federal 10.5%
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 San Elijo Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Marcos High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mission Hills High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| San Elijo Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Woodland Park Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Double Peak | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to San Elijo Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,067
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,751
- Students per teacher
- 25.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,395
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,184
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,171
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar elementary schools in San Marcos
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Double Peak
Standard public school
1,171 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
Richland Elementary
Standard public school
883 students 27.6:1 students per teacher
La Mirada Academy
Standard public school
868 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
Paloma Elementary
Standard public school
758 students 27.1:1 students per teacher
Knob Hill Elementary
Standard public school
725 students 23.4:1 students per teacher
Discovery Elementary
Standard public school
717 students 25.6:1 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 (~834 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on San Elijo Elementary's federal record.
- Compare San Elijo Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- San Marcos 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 San Elijo Elementary
How many students attend San Elijo Elementary?
San Elijo Elementary has 834 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Marcos, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at San Elijo Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at San Elijo Elementary is 23.8:1, 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 San Elijo Elementary?
13.4% of students at San Elijo Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of San Elijo Elementary?
The largest demographic group at San Elijo Elementary is White at 61.2% of enrollment, in San Marcos, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for San Elijo Elementary?
San Elijo Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 San Elijo Elementary rank among elementary schools in San Marcos?
By Resource Investment Index, San Elijo Elementary ranks #1 of 11 elementary schools in San Marcos, 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 San Marcos on the city page.
Is San Elijo Elementary a good school?
San Elijo Elementary earns 43/100 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 San Marcos Unified?
Besides San Elijo Elementary, San Marcos Unified also operates San Marcos High (3,067 students), Mission Hills High (2,751 students), and San Elijo Middle (1,395 students). See the San Marcos 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.