Enrollment
315
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Tijeras Creek Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Tijeras Creek Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060744008541
👥 S:T ratio 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tijeras Creek Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #3 of 6
- elementary schools in Rancho Santa Margarita · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.5:1
- students per teacher
- 12.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Tijeras Creek Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tijeras Creek Elementary ranks #3 of 6 elementary schools in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.
School address
District: Capistrano Unified · California
NCES ID 060744008541 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-78% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tijeras Creek Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tijeras Creek Elementary
Tijeras Creek Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, enrolling 315 students.
At 22.5:1, 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, 12.4% free-meal eligibility runs 78% below the California average.
Enrollment of 315 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 459 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #104.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 315 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Rancho Santa Margarita's elementary schools, it stands alongside Melinda Heights Elementary (950 students): Tijeras Creek Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.5:1 vs 25.7:1).
Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students) and San Juan Hills High (2,641 students) alongside Tijeras Creek 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 Tijeras Creek Elementary compares
Tijeras Creek 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 | 22.5:1 | ▲ 5% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.4% | ▼ 78% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 315 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.5:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
315
Bigger than 34% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 78% 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
22.5:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 58% in California - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
18.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,421
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 315 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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
White 50.6%
Hispanic or Latino 18.8%
Two or More 17.2%
Asian 12.7%
African American 0.6%
Largest group: White at 50.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.3, Tijeras Creek Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Capistrano Unified, which includes Tijeras Creek Elementary.
$14,421
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 61.2%
State 31.0%
Federal 7.7%
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 Tijeras Creek Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Clemente High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| San Juan Hills High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Aliso Niguel High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tesoro High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Capistrano Valley High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tijeras Creek Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,740
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,641
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,563
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,030
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,991
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Rancho Santa Margarita
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Melinda Heights Elementary
Standard public school
950 students 25.7:1 students per teacher
Trabuco Mesa Elementary
Standard public school
640 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
Arroyo Vista Elementary
Standard public school
508 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
Cielo Vista Elementary
Standard public school
487 students 20.3:1 students per teacher
Las Flores Elementary
Standard public school
328 students 23.4:1 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 (~315 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tijeras Creek Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Tijeras Creek Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Capistrano 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 Tijeras Creek Elementary
How many students attend Tijeras Creek Elementary?
Tijeras Creek Elementary has 315 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tijeras Creek Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Tijeras Creek Elementary is 22.5:1, which is 5% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 43% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Tijeras Creek Elementary?
12.4% of students at Tijeras Creek Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tijeras Creek Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Tijeras Creek Elementary is White at 50.6% of enrollment, in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tijeras Creek Elementary?
Tijeras Creek Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Tijeras Creek Elementary rank among elementary schools in Rancho Santa Margarita?
By Resource Investment Index, Tijeras Creek Elementary ranks #3 of 6 elementary schools in Rancho Santa Margarita, 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 Rancho Santa Margarita on the city page.
Is Tijeras Creek Elementary a good school?
Tijeras Creek Elementary earns 43/100 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 Capistrano Unified?
Besides Tijeras Creek Elementary, Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students), San Juan Hills High (2,641 students), and Aliso Niguel High (2,563 students). See the Capistrano 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.