Enrollment
155
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Petaluma, CA
Valley Vista Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Valley Vista Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063023004726
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Valley Vista Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of California schools.
- #15 of 25
- elementary schools in Petaluma · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.4:1
- small classes for California
- 49.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Valley Vista Elementary has class sizes smaller than 70% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Vista Elementary ranks #15 of 25 elementary schools in Petaluma, CA.
School address
District: Petaluma City Elementary · California
NCES ID 063023004726 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Valley Vista Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Valley Vista Elementary
Valley Vista Elementary is a small elementary school in Petaluma, California, enrolling 155 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 49.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 155 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 342 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #186.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (52%) and White (35%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 310 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Petaluma's elementary schools, it stands alongside Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley (494 students): Valley Vista Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.4:1 vs 29.1:1).
Petaluma City Elementary also operates Penngrove Elementary (472 students) and Grant Elementary (386 students) alongside Valley Vista 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 Vista Elementary compares
Valley Vista 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 | 19.4:1 | ▼ 10% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.0% | ▼ 12% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 155 | top 86% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.4:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
155
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% 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
19.4:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 30% in California - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
43.9%
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.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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 52.3%
White 34.8%
Two or More 6.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.6%
Asian 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 52.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.0, Valley Vista Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
How Valley Vista Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penngrove Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Grant Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mckinley Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mcnear Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mcdowell Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Valley Vista Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 472
- Students per teacher
- 26.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 386
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 368
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 343
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 329
- Students per teacher
- 27.4:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
Similar elementary schools in Petaluma
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley
Standard public school
494 students 29.1:1 students per teacher
Loma Vista Immersion Academy
Standard public school
451 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Sonoma Mountain Elementary
Standard public school
422 students 26.4:1 students per teacher
Corona Creek Elementary
Standard public school
403 students 22.4:1 students per teacher
Grant Elementary
Standard public school
386 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Meadow Elementary
Standard public school
384 students 24:1 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 (~155 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Valley Vista Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Valley Vista Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Petaluma City Elementary'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 Vista Elementary
How many students attend Valley Vista Elementary?
Valley Vista Elementary has 155 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Petaluma, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Valley Vista Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Valley Vista Elementary is 19.4:1, which is 10% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 24% 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 Vista Elementary?
49.0% of students at Valley Vista Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Valley Vista Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Valley Vista Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 52.3% of enrollment, in Petaluma, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Valley Vista Elementary?
Valley Vista Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical 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 Vista Elementary rank among elementary schools in Petaluma?
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Vista Elementary ranks #15 of 25 elementary schools in Petaluma, 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 Petaluma on the city page.
Is Valley Vista Elementary a good school?
Valley Vista Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% 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 Petaluma City Elementary?
Besides Valley Vista Elementary, Petaluma City Elementary also operates Penngrove Elementary (472 students), Grant Elementary (386 students), and Mckinley Elementary (368 students). See the Petaluma City Elementary 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.