Enrollment
314
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Santa Clara, CA
Sutter Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sutter Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063543006052
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sutter Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #1 of 16
- elementary schools in Santa Clara · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.9:1
- students per teacher
- 19.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Sutter Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sutter Elementary ranks #1 of 16 elementary schools in Santa Clara, CA.
School address
District: Santa Clara Unified · California
NCES ID 063543006052 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sutter Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sutter Elementary
Sutter Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Santa Clara, California, enrolling 314 students.
At 20.9:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 19.3% free-meal eligibility runs 65% below the California average.
Enrollment of 314 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 588 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #254.
Its student body is led by Asian (35%) and White (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 74/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 314 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
15.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Santa Clara Unified spends $24,038 per pupil, 46% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Santa Clara's elementary schools, it stands alongside Laurelwood Elementary (571 students): Sutter Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.9:1 vs 26:1).
Santa Clara Unified also operates Santa Clara High (1,663 students) and Adrian Wilcox High (1,614 students) alongside Sutter 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 Sutter Elementary compares
Sutter 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 | 20.9:1 | ▼ 3% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.3% | ▼ 65% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 314 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.9:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
314
Bigger than 34% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% 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
20.9:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 42% in California - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
15.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$24,038
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 314 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: 1.6 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
Asian 35.0%
White 29.0%
Hispanic or Latino 19.7%
Two or More 13.4%
African American 2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Asian at 35.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.6, Sutter Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Santa Clara Unified, which includes Sutter Elementary.
$24,038
Per student
+46%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+45%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 81.9%
State 13.2%
Federal 4.9%
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 Sutter Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Adrian Wilcox High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Juan Cabrillo Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Marian a. Peterson Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Buchser Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sutter Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,663
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,614
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 796
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 759
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 711
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar elementary schools in Santa Clara
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Laurelwood Elementary
Standard public school
571 students 26:1 students per teacher
Don Callejon
Standard public school
568 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Millikin Elementary
Standard public school
504 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary
Standard public school
453 students 25.2:1 students per teacher
Central Park Elementary
Standard public school
419 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Scott Lane Elementary
Standard public school
406 students 21.4:1 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 (~314 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sutter Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sutter Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Santa Clara 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 Sutter Elementary
How many students attend Sutter Elementary?
Sutter Elementary has 314 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Santa Clara, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sutter Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sutter Elementary is 20.9:1, which is 3% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 33% 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 Sutter Elementary?
19.3% of students at Sutter Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sutter Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sutter Elementary is Asian at 35.0% of enrollment, in Santa Clara, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sutter Elementary?
Sutter Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical 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 Sutter Elementary rank among elementary schools in Santa Clara?
By Resource Investment Index, Sutter Elementary ranks #1 of 16 elementary schools in Santa Clara, 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 Santa Clara on the city page.
Is Sutter Elementary a good school?
Sutter Elementary earns 36/100 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 Santa Clara Unified?
Besides Sutter Elementary, Santa Clara Unified also operates Santa Clara High (1,663 students), Adrian Wilcox High (1,614 students), and Juan Cabrillo Middle (796 students). See the Santa Clara 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.