Enrollment
663
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Poway, CA
Valley Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Valley Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 14/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063153004899
👥 S:T ratio 5
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Valley Elementary earns 14/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #7 of 7
- elementary schools in Poway · Resource Index
- 14
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.7:1
- students per teacher
- 38.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Valley Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Elementary ranks #7 of 7 elementary schools in Poway, CA.
School address
District: Poway Unified · California
NCES ID 063153004899 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Valley Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Valley Elementary
Valley Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Poway, California, enrolling 663 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.7:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 38.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 663 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,345 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,235, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (59%) and White (26%) (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 663 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Poway's elementary schools, it stands alongside Chaparral Elementary (858 students): Valley Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (23.7:1 vs 23.8:1).
Poway Unified also operates Del Norte High (2,557 students) and Rancho Bernardo High (2,210 students) alongside Valley 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 Elementary compares
Valley 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 | 23.7:1 | ▲ 10% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.8% | ▼ 30% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 663 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.7:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
663
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
23.7:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 69% in California - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
31.1%
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
$13,960
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 663 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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 58.8%
White 25.8%
Two or More 7.7%
Asian 5.9%
African American 1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 58.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.8, Valley Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Poway Unified, which includes Valley Elementary.
$13,960
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.2%
State 39.4%
Federal 6.4%
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 Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Del Norte High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rancho Bernardo High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Westview High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Poway High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mt. Carmel High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Valley Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,557
- Students per teacher
- 26.9:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 2,210
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,116
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,101
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,800
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar elementary schools in Poway
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Chaparral Elementary
Standard public school
858 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Painted Rock Elementary
Standard public school
613 students 23.6:1 students per teacher
Midland Elementary
Standard public school
580 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
Garden Road Elementary
Standard public school
508 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
Tierra Bonita Elementary
Standard public school
377 students 23.6:1 students per teacher
Pomerado Elementary
Standard public school
305 students 20.3:1 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 (~663 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Valley Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Valley Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Poway 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 Elementary
How many students attend Valley Elementary?
Valley Elementary has 663 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Poway, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Valley Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Valley Elementary is 23.7:1, which is 10% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 51% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Valley Elementary?
38.8% of students at Valley Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Valley Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Valley Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 58.8% of enrollment, in Poway, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Valley Elementary?
Valley Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 14/100 (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 Elementary rank among elementary schools in Poway?
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Elementary ranks #7 of 7 elementary schools in Poway, 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 Poway on the city page.
Is Valley Elementary a good school?
Valley Elementary earns 14/100 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 Poway Unified?
Besides Valley Elementary, Poway Unified also operates Del Norte High (2,557 students), Rancho Bernardo High (2,210 students), and Westview High (2,116 students). See the Poway 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.