Enrollment
640
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Trabuco Mesa Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Trabuco Mesa Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063386009186
👥 S:T ratio 8
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Trabuco Mesa Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #1 of 6
- elementary schools in Rancho Santa Margarita · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.9:1
- students per teacher
- 21.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Trabuco Mesa Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Trabuco Mesa Elementary ranks #1 of 6 elementary schools in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.
School address
District: Saddleback Valley Unified · California
NCES ID 063386009186 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
-62% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Trabuco Mesa Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Trabuco Mesa Elementary
Trabuco Mesa Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, enrolling 640 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 22.9:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 21.1% free-meal eligibility runs 62% below the California average.
Enrollment of 640 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,328 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #198.
Its student body is led by White (45%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.6% 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): Trabuco Mesa Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.9:1 vs 25.7:1).
Saddleback Valley Unified also operates Trabuco Hills High (2,475 students) and El Toro High (1,902 students) alongside Trabuco Mesa 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 Trabuco Mesa Elementary compares
Trabuco Mesa 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 | 22.9:1 | ▲ 7% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.1% | ▼ 62% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 640 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.9:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
640
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 62% 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
22.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 61% in California - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
18.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,733
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 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 44.5%
Hispanic or Latino 28.8%
Asian 13.9%
Two or More 11.6%
African American 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 44.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.6, Trabuco Mesa Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Saddleback Valley Unified, which includes Trabuco Mesa Elementary.
$13,733
Per student
-17%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.6%
State 29.5%
Federal 7.9%
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 Trabuco Mesa Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trabuco Hills High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| El Toro High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mission Viejo High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Laguna Hills High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Trabuco Mesa Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,475
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,902
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,566
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,317
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,153
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- 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
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
Tijeras Creek Elementary
Standard public school
315 students 22.5:1 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 (~640 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Trabuco Mesa Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Trabuco Mesa Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Saddleback Valley 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 Trabuco Mesa Elementary
How many students attend Trabuco Mesa Elementary?
Trabuco Mesa Elementary has 640 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Trabuco Mesa Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Trabuco Mesa Elementary is 22.9:1, which is 7% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 46% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Trabuco Mesa Elementary?
21.1% of students at Trabuco Mesa Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Trabuco Mesa Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Trabuco Mesa Elementary is White at 44.5% 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 68.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Trabuco Mesa Elementary?
Trabuco Mesa Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Trabuco Mesa Elementary rank among elementary schools in Rancho Santa Margarita?
By Resource Investment Index, Trabuco Mesa Elementary ranks #1 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 Trabuco Mesa Elementary a good school?
Trabuco Mesa Elementary earns 44/100 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 Saddleback Valley Unified?
Besides Trabuco Mesa Elementary, Saddleback Valley Unified also operates Trabuco Hills High (2,475 students), El Toro High (1,902 students), and Mission Viejo High (1,566 students). See the Saddleback Valley Unified district page for the complete list.
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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.