Enrollment
282
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Jose, CA
Sylvia Cassell Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sylvia Cassell Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060231000101
👥 S:T ratio 13
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sylvia Cassell Elementary earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #116 of 154
- elementary schools in San Jose · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.7:1
- students per teacher
- 66.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Sylvia Cassell Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sylvia Cassell Elementary ranks #116 of 154 elementary schools in San Jose, CA.
School address
District: Alum Rock Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 060231000101 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sylvia Cassell Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sylvia Cassell Elementary
Sylvia Cassell Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in San Jose, California, enrolling 282 students.
At 21.7:1, 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 above the state's typical profile, with 66.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 282 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,021 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #717.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among San Jose's elementary schools, it stands alongside Easterbrook Discovery (952 students): Sylvia Cassell Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.7:1 vs 22.1:1).
Alum Rock Union Elementary also operates Adelante Dual Language Academy (505 students) and William Sheppard Middle (451 students) alongside Sylvia Cassell 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 Sylvia Cassell Elementary compares
Sylvia Cassell 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 | 21.7:1 | ▲ 1% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.7% | ▲ 20% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 282 | top 76% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.7:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
282
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% 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
21.7:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 50% in California - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
31.2%
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
$18,211
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 80.9%
Asian 14.9%
White 1.4%
Two or More 1.1%
African American 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 80.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.3, Sylvia Cassell Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alum Rock Union Elementary, which includes Sylvia Cassell Elementary.
$18,211
Per student
+10%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.2%
State 61.3%
Federal 13.5%
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 Sylvia Cassell Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adelante Dual Language Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| William Sheppard Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Linda Vista Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| O. S. Hubbard Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Aptitud Community Academy at Goss | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sylvia Cassell Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 505
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 451
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 437
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 427
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 386
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar elementary schools in San Jose
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Easterbrook Discovery
Standard public school
952 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Merritt Trace Elementary
Standard public school
829 students 23:1 students per teacher
Orchard Elementary
Standard public school
740 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Tom Matsumoto Elementary
Standard public school
727 students 24.2:1 students per teacher
Herman (Leonard) Intermediate
Standard public school
723 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Booksin Elementary
Standard public school
715 students 23.8:1 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 (~282 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sylvia Cassell Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sylvia Cassell Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Alum Rock Union 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 Sylvia Cassell Elementary
How many students attend Sylvia Cassell Elementary?
Sylvia Cassell Elementary has 282 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Jose, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sylvia Cassell Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sylvia Cassell Elementary is 21.7:1, which is 1% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 38% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sylvia Cassell Elementary?
66.7% of students at Sylvia Cassell Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sylvia Cassell Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sylvia Cassell Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 80.9% of enrollment, in San Jose, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sylvia Cassell Elementary?
Sylvia Cassell Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (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 Sylvia Cassell Elementary rank among elementary schools in San Jose?
By Resource Investment Index, Sylvia Cassell Elementary ranks #116 of 154 elementary schools in San Jose, 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 Jose on the city page.
Is Sylvia Cassell Elementary a good school?
Sylvia Cassell Elementary earns 22/100 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 Alum Rock Union Elementary?
Besides Sylvia Cassell Elementary, Alum Rock Union Elementary also operates Adelante Dual Language Academy (505 students), William Sheppard Middle (451 students), and Linda Vista Elementary (437 students). See the Alum Rock Union 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.