Enrollment
480
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Jose, CA
Simonds Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Simonds Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063459005738
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Simonds Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #50 of 154
- elementary schools in San Jose · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.9:1
- students per teacher
- 8.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Simonds Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Simonds Elementary ranks #50 of 154 elementary schools in San Jose, CA.
School address
District: San Jose Unified · California
NCES ID 063459005738 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
8.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
-84% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Simonds Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Simonds Elementary
Simonds Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in San Jose, California, enrolling 480 students.
At 20.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 8.8% free-meal eligibility runs 84% below the California average.
With 480 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.
Against 803 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #457.
Its student body is led by Asian (38%) and White (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
16.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among San Jose's elementary schools, it stands alongside Easterbrook Discovery (952 students): Simonds Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.9:1 vs 22.1:1).
San Jose Unified also operates Abraham Lincoln High (1,590 students) and Willow Glen High (1,543 students) alongside Simonds 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 Simonds Elementary compares
Simonds 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 | 20.9:1 | ▼ 3% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 8.8% | ▼ 84% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 480 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.9:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
480
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
8.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 84% 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
20.9:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 42% in California - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
16.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$16,122
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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
Asian 38.3%
White 29.6%
Two or More 16.7%
Hispanic or Latino 13.8%
African American 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Asian at 38.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.9, Simonds Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Jose Unified, which includes Simonds Elementary.
$16,122
Per student
-2%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 67.7%
State 23.6%
Federal 8.7%
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 Simonds Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abraham Lincoln High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Willow Glen High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Leland High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pioneer High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Willow Glen Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Simonds Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,590
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,543
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,471
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,393
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,180
- Students per teacher
- 25.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar elementary schools in San Jose
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Easterbrook Discovery
Standard public school
952 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Merritt Trace Elementary
Standard public school
829 students 23:1 students per teacher
Orchard Elementary
Standard public school
740 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Tom Matsumoto Elementary
Standard public school
727 students 24.2:1 students per teacher
Herman (Leonard) Intermediate
Standard public school
723 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Booksin Elementary
Standard public school
715 students 23.8:1 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 (~480 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Simonds Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Simonds Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- San Jose 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 Simonds Elementary
How many students attend Simonds Elementary?
Simonds Elementary has 480 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Jose, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Simonds Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Simonds Elementary is 20.9:1, which is 3% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 33% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Simonds Elementary?
8.8% of students at Simonds Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Simonds Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Simonds Elementary is Asian at 38.3% of enrollment, in San Jose, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Simonds Elementary?
Simonds Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Simonds Elementary rank among elementary schools in San Jose?
By Resource Investment Index, Simonds Elementary ranks #50 of 154 elementary schools in San Jose, 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 Jose on the city page.
Is Simonds Elementary a good school?
Simonds Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 San Jose Unified?
Besides Simonds Elementary, San Jose Unified also operates Abraham Lincoln High (1,590 students), Willow Glen High (1,543 students), and Leland High (1,471 students). See the San Jose 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.