Enrollment
1,395
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · San Marcos, CA
San Elijo Middle
Federal NCES profile for San Elijo Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 063488011403
👥 S:T ratio 6
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
San Elijo Middle earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #2 of 4
- middle schools in San Marcos · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 23.6:1
- students per teacher
- 15.4%
- free-lunch eligible
San Elijo Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, San Elijo Middle ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in San Marcos, CA.
School address
District: San Marcos Unified · California
NCES ID 063488011403 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
59.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How San Elijo Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at San Elijo Middle
San Elijo Middle is a lower-poverty, large middle school in San Marcos, California, enrolling 1,395 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.6:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 15.4% free-meal eligibility runs 72% below the California average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,395 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 326 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #193.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 465 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among San Marcos's middle schools, it stands alongside Woodland Park Middle (1,184 students): San Elijo Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.6:1 vs 21.9:1).
San Marcos Unified also operates San Marcos High (3,067 students) and Mission Hills High (2,751 students) alongside San Elijo Middle.
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 Middle compares
San Elijo Middle on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 23.6:1 | ▲ 10% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.4% | ▼ 72% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,395 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.6:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,395
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 72% 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
23.6:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 68% in California - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
18.6%
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 465 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.8 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 56.7%
Hispanic or Latino 23.9%
Two or More 9.7%
Asian 8.0%
African American 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 56.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.5, San Elijo Middle 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 Middle.
$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 Middle 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 |
| Woodland Park Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Double Peak | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Marcos Middle | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to San Elijo Middle'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
- 1,184
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,171
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 968
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar middle schools in San Marcos
3 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~1,395 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on San Elijo Middle's federal record.
- Compare San Elijo Middle 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 Middle
How many students attend San Elijo Middle?
San Elijo Middle has 1,395 students enrolled. It is a middle school in San Marcos, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at San Elijo Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at San Elijo Middle is 23.6:1, which is 10% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 50% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at San Elijo Middle?
15.4% of students at San Elijo Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of San Elijo Middle?
The largest demographic group at San Elijo Middle is White at 56.7% of enrollment, in San Marcos, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for San Elijo Middle?
San Elijo Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical 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 San Elijo Middle rank among middle schools in San Marcos?
By Resource Investment Index, San Elijo Middle ranks #2 of 4 middle 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 middle schools in San Marcos on the city page.
Is San Elijo Middle a good school?
San Elijo Middle 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 San Marcos Unified?
Besides San Elijo Middle, San Marcos Unified also operates San Marcos High (3,067 students), Mission Hills High (2,751 students), and Woodland Park Middle (1,184 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.