Enrollment
602
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Clemente, CA
Truman Benedict Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Truman Benedict Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060744009119
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Truman Benedict Elementary earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of California schools.
- #7 of 7
- elementary schools in San Clemente · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.1:1
- large classes for California
- 12.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Truman Benedict Elementary has class sizes larger than 80% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Truman Benedict Elementary ranks #7 of 7 elementary schools in San Clemente, CA.
School address
District: Capistrano Unified · California
NCES ID 060744009119 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-78% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Truman Benedict Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Truman Benedict Elementary
Truman Benedict Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in San Clemente, California, enrolling 602 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.1:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 12.0% free-meal eligibility runs 78% below the California average.
Enrollment of 602 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,019 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #847, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and Two or More (13%) (diversity index 42/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 602 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among San Clemente's elementary schools, it stands alongside Las Palmas Elementary (743 students): Truman Benedict Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.1:1 vs 24.8:1).
Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students) and San Juan Hills High (2,641 students) alongside Truman Benedict 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 Truman Benedict Elementary compares
Truman Benedict 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 | 25.1:1 | ▲ 17% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.0% | ▼ 78% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 602 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.1:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
602
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.0%
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
25.1:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 80% in California - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
26.6%
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
$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 602 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.2 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
White 74.4%
Two or More 13.0%
Hispanic or Latino 10.3%
Asian 2.3%
Largest group: White at 74.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.8, Truman Benedict Elementary is less 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 Truman Benedict 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 Truman Benedict Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Clemente High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Juan Hills High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aliso Niguel High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tesoro High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Capistrano Valley High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Truman Benedict 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 San Clemente
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Las Palmas Elementary
Standard public school
743 students 24.8:1 students per teacher
Vista Del Mar Elementary
Standard public school
692 students 23.9:1 students per teacher
Concordia Elementary
Standard public school
533 students 26.6:1 students per teacher
San Onofre Elementary
Standard public school
489 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Clarence Lobo Elementary
Standard public school
328 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Marblehead Elementary
Standard public school
195 students 19.5:1 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 (~602 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Truman Benedict Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Truman Benedict 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 Truman Benedict Elementary
How many students attend Truman Benedict Elementary?
Truman Benedict Elementary has 602 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Clemente, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Truman Benedict Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Truman Benedict Elementary is 25.1:1, which is 17% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 60% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Truman Benedict Elementary?
12.0% of students at Truman Benedict Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Truman Benedict Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Truman Benedict Elementary is White at 74.4% of enrollment, in San Clemente, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Truman Benedict Elementary?
Truman Benedict Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (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 Truman Benedict Elementary rank among elementary schools in San Clemente?
By Resource Investment Index, Truman Benedict Elementary ranks #7 of 7 elementary schools in San Clemente, 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 San Clemente on the city page.
Is Truman Benedict Elementary a good school?
Truman Benedict Elementary earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of 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 Truman Benedict 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.