Enrollment
476
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Valley Center, CA
Valley Center Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Valley Center Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 9/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060006908614
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 5
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Valley Center Elementary earns 9/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of California schools.
- #4 of 4
- elementary schools in Valley Center · Resource Index
- 9
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.1:1
- large classes for California
- 63.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Valley Center Elementary has class sizes larger than 80% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Center Elementary ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Valley Center, CA.
School address
District: Valley Center-Pauma Unified · California
NCES ID 060006908614 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Valley Center Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Valley Center Elementary
Valley Center Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Valley Center, California, enrolling 476 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.1:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 63.8% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 476 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,963 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,906, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (62%) and White (20%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 476 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Valley Center's elementary schools, it stands alongside Valley Center Primary (496 students): Valley Center Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.1:1 vs 20.7:1).
Valley Center-Pauma Unified also operates Valley Center High (1,075 students) and Valley Center Middle (766 students) alongside Valley Center 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 Valley Center Elementary compares
Valley Center 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 | 63.8% | ▲ 15% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 476 | top 49% | - | - |
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.
476
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
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
47.9%
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
$14,038
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 476 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.9 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
Hispanic or Latino 61.8%
White 20.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 8.0%
Two or More 7.6%
Asian 1.5%
African American 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 61.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.4, Valley Center Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Valley Center-Pauma Unified, which includes Valley Center Elementary.
$14,038
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.6%
State 41.7%
Federal 13.7%
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 Valley Center Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Center High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Valley Center Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Valley Center Primary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lilac | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pauma Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Valley Center Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,075
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 766
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 496
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 245
- Students per teacher
- 27.2:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
Similar elementary schools in Valley Center
3 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 (~476 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Valley Center Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Valley Center Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Valley Center-Pauma 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 Valley Center Elementary
How many students attend Valley Center Elementary?
Valley Center Elementary has 476 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Valley Center, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Valley Center Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Valley Center 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 Valley Center Elementary?
63.8% of students at Valley Center Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Valley Center Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Valley Center Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 61.8% of enrollment, in Valley Center, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Valley Center Elementary?
Valley Center Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 9/100 (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 Valley Center Elementary rank among elementary schools in Valley Center?
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Center Elementary ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Valley Center, 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 Valley Center on the city page.
Is Valley Center Elementary a good school?
Valley Center Elementary earns 9/100 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 Valley Center-Pauma Unified?
Besides Valley Center Elementary, Valley Center-Pauma Unified also operates Valley Center High (1,075 students), Valley Center Middle (766 students), and Valley Center Primary (496 students). See the Valley Center-Pauma 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.