Enrollment
383
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Watsonville, CA
Starlight Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Starlight Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062949009601
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Starlight Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #3 of 16
- elementary schools in Watsonville · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.4:1
- small classes for California
- 80.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Starlight Elementary has class sizes smaller than 82% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Starlight Elementary ranks #3 of 16 elementary schools in Watsonville, CA.
School address
District: Pajaro Valley Unified · California
NCES ID 062949009601 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
+44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Starlight Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Starlight Elementary
Starlight Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Watsonville, California, enrolling 383 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 17.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 80.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 383 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 1,755 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #417.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (98% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 5/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 65.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Watsonville's elementary schools, it stands alongside Alianza Charter (626 students): Starlight Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.4:1 vs 22.4:1).
Pajaro Valley Unified also operates Watsonville High (2,215 students) and Pajaro Valley High (1,293 students) alongside Starlight 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 Starlight Elementary compares
Starlight 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 | 17.4:1 | ▼ 19% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.1% | ▲ 44% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 383 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
383
Bigger than 45% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
80.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% 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
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 18% in California - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
65.8%
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
$17,011
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 + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 97.7%
White 1.6%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 97.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 4.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 4.5, Starlight Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pajaro Valley Unified, which includes Starlight Elementary.
$17,011
Per student
+3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.6%
State 56.5%
Federal 12.9%
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 Starlight Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watsonville High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pajaro Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Aptos High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alianza Charter | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rolling Hills Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Starlight Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,215
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,293
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,274
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 626
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 588
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
Similar elementary schools in Watsonville
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Alianza Charter
Standard public school
626 students 22.4:1 students per teacher
Bradley Elementary
Standard public school
520 students 23.6:1 students per teacher
Calabasas Elementary
Standard public school
512 students 20.5:1 students per teacher
Mintie White Elementary
Standard public school
493 students 20.5:1 students per teacher
Watsonville Prep
Standard public school
488 students 37.5:1 students per teacher
H. a. Hyde Elementary
Standard public school
476 students 19:1 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 (~383 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Starlight Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Starlight Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Pajaro Valley 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 Starlight Elementary
How many students attend Starlight Elementary?
Starlight Elementary has 383 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Watsonville, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Starlight Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Starlight Elementary is 17.4:1, which is 19% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 11% 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 Starlight Elementary?
80.1% of students at Starlight Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Starlight Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Starlight Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 97.7% of enrollment, in Watsonville, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Starlight Elementary?
Starlight Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Starlight Elementary rank among elementary schools in Watsonville?
By Resource Investment Index, Starlight Elementary ranks #3 of 16 elementary schools in Watsonville, 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 Watsonville on the city page.
Is Starlight Elementary a good school?
Starlight Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of California schools. 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 Pajaro Valley Unified?
Besides Starlight Elementary, Pajaro Valley Unified also operates Watsonville High (2,215 students), Pajaro Valley High (1,293 students), and Aptos High (1,274 students). See the Pajaro Valley 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.