Enrollment
428
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Garden Grove, CA
Thomas Paine Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Thomas Paine 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 061488001869
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 19
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thomas Paine Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #15 of 35
- elementary schools in Garden Grove · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.4:1
- students per teacher
- 62.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Thomas Paine Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas Paine Elementary ranks #15 of 35 elementary schools in Garden Grove, CA.
School address
District: Garden Grove Unified · California
NCES ID 061488001869 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thomas Paine Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thomas Paine Elementary
Thomas Paine Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Garden Grove, California, enrolling 428 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 20.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 62.9% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 428 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,835 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #291.
Its student body is led by Asian (56%) and Hispanic or Latino (35%) (diversity index 56/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Garden Grove's elementary schools, it stands alongside Patton Elementary (904 students): Thomas Paine Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.4:1 vs 29.2:1).
Garden Grove Unified also operates Garden Grove High (2,148 students) and La Quinta High (2,041 students) alongside Thomas Paine 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 Thomas Paine Elementary compares
Thomas Paine 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 | 20.4:1 | ▼ 5% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.9% | ▲ 13% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 428 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.4:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
428
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
20.4:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 38% in California - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
32.2%
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
$16,783
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 + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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 56.1%
Hispanic or Latino 34.8%
Two or More 5.8%
White 1.9%
African American 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: Asian at 56.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.0, Thomas Paine Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Garden Grove Unified, which includes Thomas Paine Elementary.
$16,783
Per student
+2%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.3%
State 56.8%
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 Thomas Paine Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden Grove High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| La Quinta High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bolsa Grande High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Santiago High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pacifica High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thomas Paine Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,148
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,041
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,701
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,664
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,634
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar elementary schools in Garden Grove
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Patton Elementary
Standard public school
904 students 29.2:1 students per teacher
Ocia a. Peters Elementary
Standard public school
893 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
John Murdy Elementary
Standard public school
689 students 26.5:1 students per teacher
Lampson Elementary
Standard public school
676 students 32.2:1 students per teacher
Bryant Elementary
Standard public school
571 students 24.8:1 students per teacher
Gilbert Elementary
Standard public school
515 students 25.8:1 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 (~428 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thomas Paine Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Thomas Paine Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Garden Grove 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 Thomas Paine Elementary
How many students attend Thomas Paine Elementary?
Thomas Paine Elementary has 428 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Garden Grove, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thomas Paine Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Thomas Paine Elementary is 20.4:1, which is 5% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 30% 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 Thomas Paine Elementary?
62.9% of students at Thomas Paine Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thomas Paine Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Thomas Paine Elementary is Asian at 56.1% of enrollment, in Garden Grove, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thomas Paine Elementary?
Thomas Paine Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Thomas Paine Elementary rank among elementary schools in Garden Grove?
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas Paine Elementary ranks #15 of 35 elementary schools in Garden Grove, 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 Garden Grove on the city page.
Is Thomas Paine Elementary a good school?
Thomas Paine Elementary earns 36/100 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 Garden Grove Unified?
Besides Thomas Paine Elementary, Garden Grove Unified also operates Garden Grove High (2,148 students), La Quinta High (2,041 students), and Bolsa Grande High (1,701 students). See the Garden Grove 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.