Enrollment
523
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Rafael, CA
Sun Valley Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sun Valley Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063509005940
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sun Valley Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of California schools.
- #7 of 10
- elementary schools in San Rafael · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.9:1
- large classes for California
- 23.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Sun Valley Elementary has class sizes larger than 79% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sun Valley Elementary ranks #7 of 10 elementary schools in San Rafael, CA.
School address
District: San Rafael City Elementary · California
NCES ID 063509005940 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-57% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sun Valley Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sun Valley Elementary
Sun Valley Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in San Rafael, California, enrolling 523 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.9:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 23.7% free-meal eligibility runs 57% below the California average.
With 523 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 1,317 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,045, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (55%) and Hispanic or Latino (28%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 523 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
11.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among San Rafael's elementary schools, it stands alongside Venetia Valley K-8 (748 students): Sun Valley Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.9:1 vs 20.8:1).
San Rafael City Elementary also operates James B. Davidson Middle (1,052 students) and Venetia Valley K-8 (748 students) alongside Sun Valley 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 Sun Valley Elementary compares
Sun Valley 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 | 24.9:1 | ▲ 16% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.7% | ▼ 57% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 523 | top 42% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.9:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
523
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 57% 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
24.9:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 79% in California - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
11.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$16,402
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 523 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 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
White 55.4%
Hispanic or Latino 27.9%
Two or More 11.5%
Asian 4.0%
African American 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 55.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.0, Sun Valley Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Rafael City Elementary, which includes Sun Valley Elementary.
$16,402
Per student
-1%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.6%
State 43.9%
Federal 10.5%
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 Sun Valley Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| James B. Davidson Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Venetia Valley K-8 | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bahia Vista Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Pedro Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Coleman Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sun Valley Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,052
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 748
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 552
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 469
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 378
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar elementary schools in San Rafael
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Venetia Valley K-8
Standard public school
748 students 20.8:1 students per teacher
Bahia Vista Elementary
Standard public school
552 students 23:1 students per teacher
San Pedro Elementary
Standard public school
469 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
Mary E. Silveira Elementary
Standard public school
412 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
Vallecito Elementary
Standard public school
408 students 25.5:1 students per teacher
Coleman Elementary
Standard public school
378 students 27:1 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 (~523 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sun Valley Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sun Valley Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- San Rafael City Elementary'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 Sun Valley Elementary
How many students attend Sun Valley Elementary?
Sun Valley Elementary has 523 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Rafael, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sun Valley Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sun Valley Elementary is 24.9:1, which is 16% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 59% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sun Valley Elementary?
23.7% of students at Sun Valley Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sun Valley Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sun Valley Elementary is White at 55.4% of enrollment, in San Rafael, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sun Valley Elementary?
Sun Valley Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (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 Sun Valley Elementary rank among elementary schools in San Rafael?
By Resource Investment Index, Sun Valley Elementary ranks #7 of 10 elementary schools in San Rafael, 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 Rafael on the city page.
Is Sun Valley Elementary a good school?
Sun Valley Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% 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 Rafael City Elementary?
Besides Sun Valley Elementary, San Rafael City Elementary also operates James B. Davidson Middle (1,052 students), Venetia Valley K-8 (748 students), and Bahia Vista Elementary (552 students). See the San Rafael City Elementary 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.