Enrollment
447
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Mission Viejo, CA
Viejo Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Viejo Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060744000705
👥 S:T ratio 6
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 11
📋 Attendance 11
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Viejo Elementary earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #12 of 12
- elementary schools in Mission Viejo · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.5:1
- students per teacher
- 42.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Viejo Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Viejo Elementary ranks #12 of 12 elementary schools in Mission Viejo, CA.
School address
District: Capistrano Unified · California
NCES ID 060744000705 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Viejo Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Viejo Elementary
Viejo Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Mission Viejo, California, enrolling 447 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.5:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 42.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 447 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,296 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #839.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (68%) and White (20%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 447 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Mission Viejo's elementary schools, it stands alongside Oxford Preparatory Academy - South Orange County (704 students): Viejo Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.5:1 vs 20.1:1).
Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students) and San Juan Hills High (2,641 students) alongside Viejo 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 Viejo Elementary compares
Viejo 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 | 23.5:1 | ▲ 9% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.2% | ▼ 24% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 447 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.5:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
447
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% 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
23.5:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 67% in California - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
35.6%
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 447 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 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 67.8%
White 20.4%
Two or More 10.1%
Asian 1.6%
African American 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 67.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.8, Viejo Elementary is more 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 Viejo 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 Viejo Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Clemente High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Juan Hills High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aliso Niguel High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tesoro High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Capistrano Valley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Viejo 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 Mission Viejo
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Oxford Preparatory Academy - South Orange County
Standard public school
704 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
Bathgate Elementary
Standard public school
570 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
De Portola Elementary
Standard public school
540 students 25.7:1 students per teacher
Castille Elementary
Standard public school
482 students 21.9:1 students per teacher
Montevideo Elementary
Standard public school
444 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Philip J. Reilly Elementary
Standard public school
421 students 21.1:1 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 (~447 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Viejo Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Viejo 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 Viejo Elementary
How many students attend Viejo Elementary?
Viejo Elementary has 447 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Mission Viejo, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Viejo Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Viejo Elementary is 23.5:1, which is 9% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 50% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Viejo Elementary?
42.2% of students at Viejo Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Viejo Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Viejo Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 67.8% of enrollment, in Mission Viejo, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Viejo Elementary?
Viejo Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (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 Viejo Elementary rank among elementary schools in Mission Viejo?
By Resource Investment Index, Viejo Elementary ranks #12 of 12 elementary schools in Mission Viejo, 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 Mission Viejo on the city page.
Is Viejo Elementary a good school?
Viejo Elementary earns 24/100 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 Capistrano Unified?
Besides Viejo 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.