Enrollment
377
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Poway, CA
Tierra Bonita Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Tierra Bonita Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063153004897
👥 S:T ratio 6
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tierra Bonita Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #2 of 7
- elementary schools in Poway · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.6:1
- students per teacher
- 10.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Tierra Bonita Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tierra Bonita Elementary ranks #2 of 7 elementary schools in Poway, CA.
School address
District: Poway Unified · California
NCES ID 063153004897 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
-81% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tierra Bonita Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tierra Bonita Elementary
Tierra Bonita Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Poway, California, enrolling 377 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.6:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 10.8% free-meal eligibility runs 81% below the California average.
With 377 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 641 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #480, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (60%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 377 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
17.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Poway's elementary schools, it stands alongside Chaparral Elementary (858 students): Tierra Bonita Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (23.6:1 vs 23.8:1).
Poway Unified also operates Del Norte High (2,557 students) and Rancho Bernardo High (2,210 students) alongside Tierra Bonita 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 Tierra Bonita Elementary compares
Tierra Bonita 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 | 23.6:1 | ▲ 10% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.8% | ▼ 81% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 377 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.6:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
377
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 81% 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
23.6:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 68% in California - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
17.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,960
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 377 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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
White 59.6%
Hispanic or Latino 19.1%
Two or More 13.8%
Asian 5.9%
African American 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 59.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.6, Tierra Bonita Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Poway Unified, which includes Tierra Bonita Elementary.
$13,960
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.2%
State 39.4%
Federal 6.4%
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 Tierra Bonita Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Del Norte High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rancho Bernardo High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Westview High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Poway High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mt. Carmel High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tierra Bonita Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,557
- Students per teacher
- 26.9:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 2,210
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,116
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,101
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,800
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar elementary schools in Poway
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Chaparral Elementary
Standard public school
858 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Valley Elementary
Standard public school
663 students 23.7:1 students per teacher
Painted Rock Elementary
Standard public school
613 students 23.6:1 students per teacher
Midland Elementary
Standard public school
580 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
Garden Road Elementary
Standard public school
508 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
Pomerado Elementary
Standard public school
305 students 20.3:1 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 (~377 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tierra Bonita Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Tierra Bonita Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Poway 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 Tierra Bonita Elementary
How many students attend Tierra Bonita Elementary?
Tierra Bonita Elementary has 377 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Poway, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tierra Bonita Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Tierra Bonita Elementary is 23.6:1, which is 10% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 50% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Tierra Bonita Elementary?
10.8% of students at Tierra Bonita Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tierra Bonita Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Tierra Bonita Elementary is White at 59.6% of enrollment, in Poway, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tierra Bonita Elementary?
Tierra Bonita Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Tierra Bonita Elementary rank among elementary schools in Poway?
By Resource Investment Index, Tierra Bonita Elementary ranks #2 of 7 elementary schools in Poway, 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 Poway on the city page.
Is Tierra Bonita Elementary a good school?
Tierra Bonita Elementary earns 29/100 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 Poway Unified?
Besides Tierra Bonita Elementary, Poway Unified also operates Del Norte High (2,557 students), Rancho Bernardo High (2,210 students), and Westview High (2,116 students). See the Poway 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.