Enrollment
500
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Diego, CA
Shoal Creek Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Shoal Creek Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063153007679
👥 S:T ratio 5
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Shoal Creek Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #88 of 179
- elementary schools in San Diego · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.8:1
- large classes for California
- 14.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Shoal Creek Elementary has class sizes larger than 70% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Shoal Creek Elementary ranks #88 of 179 elementary schools in San Diego, CA.
School address
District: Poway Unified · California
NCES ID 063153007679 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-74% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shoal Creek Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Shoal Creek Elementary
Shoal Creek Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in San Diego, California, enrolling 500 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, 14.3% free-meal eligibility runs 74% below the California average.
With 500 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,071 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #765, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (34%) and Asian (33%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
17.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among San Diego's elementary schools, it stands alongside Albert Einstein Academies (1,448 students): Shoal Creek Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (23.8:1 vs 24.1:1).
Poway Unified also operates Del Norte High (2,557 students) and Rancho Bernardo High (2,210 students) alongside Shoal 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 Shoal Creek Elementary compares
Shoal 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 | 23.8:1 | ▲ 11% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.3% | ▼ 74% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 500 | top 45% | - | - |
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.
500
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.3%
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
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
17.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,960
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
2
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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 34.4%
Asian 32.6%
Two or More 16.2%
Hispanic or Latino 15.2%
African American 1.6%
Largest group: White at 34.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.6, Shoal Creek Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Poway Unified, which includes Shoal Creek Elementary.
$13,960
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.2%
State 39.4%
Federal 6.4%
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 Shoal Creek Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Del Norte High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rancho Bernardo High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Westview High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Poway High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mt. Carmel High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Shoal Creek Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,557
- Students per teacher
- 26.9:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 2,210
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,116
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,101
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,800
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar elementary schools in San Diego
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Albert Einstein Academies
Standard public school
1,448 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Design 39 Campus
Standard public school
1,216 students 27:1 students per teacher
Nestor Language Academy Charter
Standard public school
1,079 students 25.7:1 students per teacher
Ocean View Hills
Standard public school
1,020 students 23.7:1 students per teacher
Language Academy
Standard public school
1,015 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Del Sur Elementary
Standard public school
891 students 24.1:1 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 (~500 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Shoal Creek Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Shoal Creek Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Poway 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 Shoal Creek Elementary
How many students attend Shoal Creek Elementary?
Shoal Creek Elementary has 500 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Diego, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shoal Creek Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Shoal Creek 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 Shoal Creek Elementary?
14.3% of students at Shoal Creek Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shoal Creek Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Shoal Creek Elementary is White at 34.4% of enrollment, in San Diego, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shoal Creek Elementary?
Shoal Creek Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower 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 Shoal Creek Elementary rank among elementary schools in San Diego?
By Resource Investment Index, Shoal Creek Elementary ranks #88 of 179 elementary schools in San Diego, 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 Diego on the city page.
Is Shoal Creek Elementary a good school?
Shoal Creek Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of California schools. It is also more 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 Poway Unified?
Besides Shoal Creek Elementary, Poway Unified also operates Del Norte High (2,557 students), Rancho Bernardo High (2,210 students), and Westview High (2,116 students). See the Poway 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.