Enrollment
549
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Oceanside, CA
Stuart Mesa Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Stuart Mesa Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 12/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062825007717
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 1
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Stuart Mesa Elementary earns 12/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #10 of 23
- elementary schools in Oceanside · Resource Index
- 12
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.1:1
- students per teacher
- 26.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Stuart Mesa Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Stuart Mesa Elementary ranks #10 of 23 elementary schools in Oceanside, CA.
School address
District: Oceanside Unified · California
NCES ID 062825007717 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Stuart Mesa Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Stuart Mesa Elementary
Stuart Mesa Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Oceanside, California, enrolling 549 students.
At 21.1:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 549 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,353 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,324, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (44%) and White (31%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 549 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Oceanside's elementary schools, it stands alongside Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary (820 students): Stuart Mesa Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.1:1 vs 21.6:1).
Oceanside Unified also operates El Camino High (2,463 students) and Oceanside High (1,948 students) alongside Stuart Mesa 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 Stuart Mesa Elementary compares
Stuart Mesa 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 | 21.1:1 | ▼ 2% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.0% | ▼ 53% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 549 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.1:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
549
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 53% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
21.1:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 44% in California - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
39.7%
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
$16,024
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 549 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.8 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 44.1%
White 31.0%
Two or More 12.0%
African American 8.2%
Asian 3.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 44.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.7, Stuart Mesa Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Oceanside Unified, which includes Stuart Mesa Elementary.
$16,024
Per student
-3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.4%
State 48.8%
Federal 13.8%
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 Stuart Mesa Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Camino High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oceanside High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Terrace Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Louise Foussat Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Stuart Mesa Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,463
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 1,948
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 1,098
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 771
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 8/100
- Enrollment
- 755
- Students per teacher
- 34.3:1
- Resource Index
- 7/100
Similar elementary schools in Oceanside
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary
Standard public school
820 students 21.6:1 students per teacher
North Terrace Elementary
Standard public school
771 students 24.9:1 students per teacher
Louise Foussat Elementary
Standard public school
755 students 34.3:1 students per teacher
Empresa Elementary
Standard public school
705 students 25.2:1 students per teacher
Ivey Ranch Elementary
Standard public school
698 students 23.3:1 students per teacher
Lake Elementary
Standard public school
696 students 24.9:1 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 (~549 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Stuart Mesa Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Stuart Mesa Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Oceanside 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 Stuart Mesa Elementary
How many students attend Stuart Mesa Elementary?
Stuart Mesa Elementary has 549 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Oceanside, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Stuart Mesa Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Stuart Mesa Elementary is 21.1:1, which is 2% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 34% 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 Stuart Mesa Elementary?
26.0% of students at Stuart Mesa Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Stuart Mesa Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Stuart Mesa Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 44.1% of enrollment, in Oceanside, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Stuart Mesa Elementary?
Stuart Mesa Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 12/100 (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 Stuart Mesa Elementary rank among elementary schools in Oceanside?
By Resource Investment Index, Stuart Mesa Elementary ranks #10 of 23 elementary schools in Oceanside, 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 Oceanside on the city page.
Is Stuart Mesa Elementary a good school?
Stuart Mesa Elementary earns 12/100 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 Oceanside Unified?
Besides Stuart Mesa Elementary, Oceanside Unified also operates El Camino High (2,463 students), Oceanside High (1,948 students), and Martin Luther King Jr. Middle (1,098 students). See the Oceanside 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.