Enrollment
545
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Salinas, CA
Santa Rita Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Santa Rita Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 10/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063579006116
👥 S:T ratio 5
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 6
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Santa Rita Elementary earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #32 of 39
- elementary schools in Salinas · Resource Index
- 10
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.7:1
- students per teacher
- 81.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Santa Rita Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Santa Rita Elementary ranks #32 of 39 elementary schools in Salinas, CA.
School address
District: Santa Rita Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 063579006116 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
+47% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Santa Rita Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Santa Rita Elementary
Santa Rita Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Salinas, California, enrolling 545 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.7:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 81.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 545 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 2,078 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,943, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (99% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 2/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 545 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Salinas's elementary schools, it stands alongside Sherwood Elementary (859 students): Santa Rita Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.7:1 vs 22:1).
Santa Rita Union Elementary also operates John Gutierrez Middle (568 students) and Gavilan View Middle (556 students) alongside Santa Rita 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 Santa Rita Elementary compares
Santa Rita 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 | 23.7:1 | ▲ 10% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.4% | ▲ 47% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 545 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.7:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
545
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
81.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 47% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
23.7:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 69% in California - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
37.6%
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
$14,415
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 545 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 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 99.1%
White 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 99.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 1.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 1.8, Santa Rita Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Santa Rita Union Elementary, which includes Santa Rita Elementary.
$14,415
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.0%
State 65.6%
Federal 12.5%
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 Santa Rita Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Gutierrez Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Gavilan View Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| La Joya Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| New Republic Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mckinnon | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Santa Rita Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 568
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 556
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 498
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
- Enrollment
- 482
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 439
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
Similar elementary schools in Salinas
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Sherwood Elementary
Standard public school
859 students 22:1 students per teacher
Monte Bella Elementary
Standard public school
812 students 25.4:1 students per teacher
Henry F. Kammann Elementary
Standard public school
743 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Fremont Elementary
Standard public school
711 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
Natividad Elementary
Standard public school
705 students 24.3:1 students per teacher
Mission Park Elementary
Standard public school
657 students 27.4:1 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 (~545 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Santa Rita Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Santa Rita Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Santa Rita Union 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 Santa Rita Elementary
How many students attend Santa Rita Elementary?
Santa Rita Elementary has 545 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Salinas, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Santa Rita Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Santa Rita Elementary is 23.7:1, which is 10% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 51% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Santa Rita Elementary?
81.4% of students at Santa Rita Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Santa Rita Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Santa Rita Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 99.1% of enrollment, in Salinas, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Santa Rita Elementary?
Santa Rita Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 10/100 (lower 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 Santa Rita Elementary rank among elementary schools in Salinas?
By Resource Investment Index, Santa Rita Elementary ranks #32 of 39 elementary schools in Salinas, 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 Salinas on the city page.
Is Santa Rita Elementary a good school?
Santa Rita Elementary earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Santa Rita Union Elementary?
Besides Santa Rita Elementary, Santa Rita Union Elementary also operates John Gutierrez Middle (568 students), Gavilan View Middle (556 students), and La Joya Elementary (498 students). See the Santa Rita Union 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.