Enrollment
401
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Luis Obispo, CA
Sinsheimer Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sinsheimer Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063480005881
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 50
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sinsheimer Elementary earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of California schools.
- #6 of 8
- elementary schools in San Luis Obispo · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.1:1
- large classes for California
- 23.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Sinsheimer Elementary has class sizes larger than 80% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sinsheimer Elementary ranks #6 of 8 elementary schools in San Luis Obispo, CA.
School address
District: San Luis Coastal Unified · California
NCES ID 063480005881 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sinsheimer Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sinsheimer Elementary
Sinsheimer Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in San Luis Obispo, California, enrolling 401 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.1:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 23.2% free-meal eligibility runs 58% below the California average.
With 401 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,045 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #961, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1003 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among San Luis Obispo's elementary schools, it stands alongside C L Smith Elementary (528 students): Sinsheimer Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.1:1 vs 24:1).
San Luis Coastal Unified also operates San Luis Obispo High (1,678 students) and Laguna Middle (780 students) alongside Sinsheimer 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 Sinsheimer Elementary compares
Sinsheimer 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 | 25.1:1 | ▲ 17% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.2% | ▼ 58% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 401 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.1:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
401
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 58% 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
25.1:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 80% in California - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
20.2%
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
$16,712
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.4 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.0 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 68.1%
Hispanic or Latino 17.7%
Two or More 8.5%
Asian 4.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
African American 0.2%
Largest group: White at 68.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.5, Sinsheimer Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Luis Coastal Unified, which includes Sinsheimer Elementary.
$16,712
Per student
+1%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 77.4%
State 16.0%
Federal 6.7%
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 Sinsheimer Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Luis Obispo High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Laguna Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Morro Bay High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| C L Smith Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Los Ranchos Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sinsheimer Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,678
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 780
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 751
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 528
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 521
- Students per teacher
- 27.4:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
Similar elementary schools in San Luis Obispo
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
C L Smith Elementary
Standard public school
528 students 24:1 students per teacher
Los Ranchos Elementary
Standard public school
521 students 27.4:1 students per teacher
Pacheco Elementary
Standard public school
488 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
Hawthorne Elementary
Standard public school
437 students 25.7:1 students per teacher
Bishop's Peak Elementary
Standard public school
358 students 22.4:1 students per teacher
Teach Elementary
Standard public school
193 students 32.2:1 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 (~401 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sinsheimer Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sinsheimer Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- San Luis Coastal 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 Sinsheimer Elementary
How many students attend Sinsheimer Elementary?
Sinsheimer Elementary has 401 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Luis Obispo, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sinsheimer Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sinsheimer Elementary is 25.1:1, which is 17% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 60% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sinsheimer Elementary?
23.2% of students at Sinsheimer Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sinsheimer Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sinsheimer Elementary is White at 68.1% of enrollment, in San Luis Obispo, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sinsheimer Elementary?
Sinsheimer Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (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 Sinsheimer Elementary rank among elementary schools in San Luis Obispo?
By Resource Investment Index, Sinsheimer Elementary ranks #6 of 8 elementary schools in San Luis Obispo, 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 Luis Obispo on the city page.
Is Sinsheimer Elementary a good school?
Sinsheimer Elementary earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% 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 Luis Coastal Unified?
Besides Sinsheimer Elementary, San Luis Coastal Unified also operates San Luis Obispo High (1,678 students), Laguna Middle (780 students), and Morro Bay High (751 students). See the San Luis Coastal 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.