Enrollment
384
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · South San Francisco, CA
Spruce Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Spruce Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063753006354
👥 S:T ratio 15
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Spruce Elementary earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #6 of 6
- elementary schools in South San Francisco · Resource Index
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.3:1
- students per teacher
- 58.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Spruce Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Spruce Elementary ranks #6 of 6 elementary schools in South San Francisco, CA.
School address
District: South San Francisco Unified · California
NCES ID 063753006354 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Spruce Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Spruce Elementary
Spruce Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in South San Francisco, California, enrolling 384 students.
At 21.3:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 58.8% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 384 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,485 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,243, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (79%) and Asian (11%) (diversity index 36/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among South San Francisco's elementary schools, it stands alongside Buri Buri Elementary (584 students): Spruce Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.3:1 vs 23.4:1).
South San Francisco Unified also operates South San Francisco High (1,239 students) and El Camino High (1,053 students) alongside Spruce 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 Spruce Elementary compares
Spruce 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 | 21.3:1 | ▼ 1% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.8% | ▲ 6% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 384 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.3:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
384
Bigger than 45% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% 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
21.3:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 46% in California - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
47.4%
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
$17,183
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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 78.9%
Asian 11.2%
White 3.6%
African American 2.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.6%
Two or More 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 78.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.3, Spruce Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South San Francisco Unified, which includes Spruce Elementary.
$17,183
Per student
+4%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 76.0%
State 16.7%
Federal 7.3%
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 Spruce Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South San Francisco High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| El Camino High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Alta Loma Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Buri Buri Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Parkway Heights Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Spruce Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,239
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,053
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 652
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 584
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 573
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar elementary schools in South San Francisco
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Buri Buri Elementary
Standard public school
584 students 23.4:1 students per teacher
Martin Elementary
Standard public school
370 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Ponderosa Elementary
Standard public school
359 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Sunshine Gardens Elementary
Standard public school
329 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Los Cerritos Elementary
Standard public school
304 students 20.3:1 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 (~384 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Spruce Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Spruce Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- South San Francisco 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 Spruce Elementary
How many students attend Spruce Elementary?
Spruce Elementary has 384 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in South San Francisco, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Spruce Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Spruce Elementary is 21.3:1, which is 1% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 36% 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 Spruce Elementary?
58.8% of students at Spruce Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Spruce Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Spruce Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 78.9% of enrollment, in South San Francisco, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Spruce Elementary?
Spruce Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (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 Spruce Elementary rank among elementary schools in South San Francisco?
By Resource Investment Index, Spruce Elementary ranks #6 of 6 elementary schools in South San Francisco, 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 South San Francisco on the city page.
Is Spruce Elementary a good school?
Spruce Elementary earns 15/100 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 South San Francisco Unified?
Besides Spruce Elementary, South San Francisco Unified also operates South San Francisco High (1,239 students), El Camino High (1,053 students), and Alta Loma Middle (652 students). See the South San Francisco 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.