Enrollment
536
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Laguna Beach, CA
Top of the World Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Top of the World Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062037002456
👥 S:T ratio 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Top of the World Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Laguna Beach · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.9:1
- students per teacher
- 11.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Top of the World Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Top of the World Elementary ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Laguna Beach, CA.
School address
District: Laguna Beach Unified · California
NCES ID 062037002456 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-79% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Top of the World Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Top of the World Elementary
Top of the World Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Laguna Beach, California, enrolling 536 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 11.5% free-meal eligibility runs 79% below the California average.
With 536 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 978 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #393.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 536 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
15.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Laguna Beach Unified spends $26,628 per pupil, 61% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Laguna Beach's elementary schools, it stands alongside El Morro Elementary (404 students): Top of the World Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.9:1 vs 17.6:1).
Laguna Beach Unified also operates Laguna Beach High (815 students) and Thurston Middle (524 students) alongside Top of the World 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 Top of the World Elementary compares
Top of the World 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 | 19.9:1 | ▼ 7% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.5% | ▼ 79% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 536 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.9:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
536
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 79% 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
19.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 34% in California - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$26,628
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 536 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 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 69.6%
Hispanic or Latino 12.5%
Two or More 10.8%
Asian 6.2%
African American 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 69.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.4, Top of the World Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Laguna Beach Unified, which includes Top of the World Elementary.
$26,628
Per student
+61%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+60%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 86.1%
State 9.4%
Federal 4.6%
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 Top of the World Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laguna Beach High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Thurston Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| El Morro Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Top of the World Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 815
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 524
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 404
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar elementary schools in Laguna Beach
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~536 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Top of the World Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Top of the World Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Laguna Beach 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 Top of the World Elementary
How many students attend Top of the World Elementary?
Top of the World Elementary has 536 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Laguna Beach, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Top of the World Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Top of the World Elementary is 19.9:1, which is 7% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 27% 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 Top of the World Elementary?
11.5% of students at Top of the World Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Top of the World Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Top of the World Elementary is White at 69.6% of enrollment, in Laguna Beach, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Top of the World Elementary?
Top of the World Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Top of the World Elementary rank among public schools in Laguna Beach?
By Resource Investment Index, Top of the World Elementary ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Laguna Beach, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Laguna Beach on the city page.
Is Top of the World Elementary a good school?
Top of the World Elementary earns 38/100 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 Laguna Beach Unified?
Besides Top of the World Elementary, Laguna Beach Unified also operates Laguna Beach High (815 students), Thurston Middle (524 students), and El Morro Elementary (404 students). See the Laguna Beach 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.