Enrollment
496
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Valley Center, CA
Valley Center Primary
Federal NCES profile for Valley Center Primary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 12/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060006908613
👥 S:T ratio 17
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 1
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Valley Center Primary earns 12/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #3 of 4
- elementary schools in Valley Center · Resource Index
- 12
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.7:1
- students per teacher
- 47.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Valley Center Primary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Center Primary ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Valley Center, CA.
School address
District: Valley Center-Pauma Unified · California
NCES ID 060006908613 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Valley Center Primary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Valley Center Primary
Valley Center Primary is a mid-sized elementary school in Valley Center, California, enrolling 496 students.
At 20.7:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 47.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 496 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,414 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,296, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (63%) and White (21%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 496 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 49.4% 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 Elementary (476 students): Valley Center Primary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.7:1 vs 25.1:1).
Valley Center-Pauma Unified also operates Valley Center High (1,075 students) and Valley Center Middle (766 students) alongside Valley Center Primary.
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 Primary compares
Valley Center Primary on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.7:1 | ▼ 4% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.7% | ▼ 14% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 496 | top 46% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.7:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
496
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20.7:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 41% in California - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
49.4%
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 496 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
Hispanic or Latino 62.9%
White 21.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 7.5%
Two or More 5.4%
Asian 3.0%
African American 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 62.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.1, Valley Center Primary 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 Primary.
$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 Primary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Center High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Valley Center Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Valley Center Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lilac | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pauma Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Valley Center Primary'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
- 476
- Students per teacher
- 25.1:1
- Resource Index
- 9/100
- 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 (~496 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Valley Center Primary's federal record.
- Compare Valley Center Primary 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 Primary
How many students attend Valley Center Primary?
Valley Center Primary has 496 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Valley Center, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Valley Center Primary?
The student-teacher ratio at Valley Center Primary is 20.7:1, which is 4% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 32% 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 Valley Center Primary?
47.7% of students at Valley Center Primary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Valley Center Primary?
The largest demographic group at Valley Center Primary is Hispanic or Latino at 62.9% of enrollment, in Valley Center, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Valley Center Primary?
Valley Center Primary has a Resource Investment Index of 12/100 (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 Primary rank among elementary schools in Valley Center?
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Center Primary ranks #3 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 Primary a good school?
Valley Center Primary earns 12/100 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 Valley Center-Pauma Unified?
Besides Valley Center Primary, Valley Center-Pauma Unified also operates Valley Center High (1,075 students), Valley Center Middle (766 students), and Valley Center Elementary (476 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.