Enrollment
461
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Paso Robles, CA
Virginia Peterson Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Virginia Peterson Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060004807410
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 8
📋 Attendance 13
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Virginia Peterson Elementary earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of California schools.
- #6 of 9
- elementary schools in Paso Robles · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.6:1
- large classes for California
- 56.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Virginia Peterson Elementary has class sizes larger than 83% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Virginia Peterson Elementary ranks #6 of 9 elementary schools in Paso Robles, CA.
School address
District: Paso Robles Joint Unified · California
NCES ID 060004807410 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Virginia Peterson Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Virginia Peterson Elementary
Virginia Peterson Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Paso Robles, California, enrolling 461 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.6:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 56.7% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 461 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 1,686 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #1,016.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (63%) and White (26%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 461 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Paso Robles's elementary schools, it stands alongside Georgia Brown Dual Immersion Magnet Elementary (682 students): Virginia Peterson Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (25.6:1 vs 32.5:1).
Paso Robles Joint Unified also operates Paso Robles High (1,986 students) and George H. Flamson Middle (884 students) alongside Virginia Peterson 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 Virginia Peterson Elementary compares
Virginia Peterson 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 | 25.6:1 | ▲ 19% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.7% | ▲ 2% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 461 | top 51% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.6:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
461
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% 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
25.6:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 83% in California - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
34.9%
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
$13,829
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 461 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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: 0.7 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 63.3%
White 25.8%
Two or More 6.3%
African American 2.4%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 63.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.8, Virginia Peterson Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Paso Robles Joint Unified, which includes Virginia Peterson Elementary.
$13,829
Per student
-16%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.1%
State 33.8%
Federal 11.2%
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 Virginia Peterson Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paso Robles High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| George H. Flamson Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Georgia Brown Dual Immersion Magnet Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Daniel Lewis Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kermit King Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Virginia Peterson Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,986
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 884
- Students per teacher
- 27.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 682
- Students per teacher
- 32.5:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 665
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 507
- Students per teacher
- 31.7:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar elementary schools in Paso Robles
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Georgia Brown Dual Immersion Magnet Elementary
Standard public school
682 students 32.5:1 students per teacher
Kermit King Elementary
Standard public school
507 students 31.7:1 students per teacher
Winifred Pifer Elementary
Standard public school
492 students 30.8:1 students per teacher
Almond Acres Charter Academy
Standard public school
478 students 23.9:1 students per teacher
Pat Butler Elementary
Standard public school
472 students 29.5:1 students per teacher
Glen Speck Elementary
Standard public school
454 students 32.4:1 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 (~461 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Virginia Peterson Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Virginia Peterson Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Paso Robles Joint 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 Virginia Peterson Elementary
How many students attend Virginia Peterson Elementary?
Virginia Peterson Elementary has 461 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Paso Robles, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Virginia Peterson Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Virginia Peterson Elementary is 25.6:1, which is 19% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 63% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Virginia Peterson Elementary?
56.7% of students at Virginia Peterson Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Virginia Peterson Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Virginia Peterson Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 63.3% of enrollment, in Paso Robles, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Virginia Peterson Elementary?
Virginia Peterson Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (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 Virginia Peterson Elementary rank among elementary schools in Paso Robles?
By Resource Investment Index, Virginia Peterson Elementary ranks #6 of 9 elementary schools in Paso Robles, 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 Paso Robles on the city page.
Is Virginia Peterson Elementary a good school?
Virginia Peterson Elementary earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% 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 Paso Robles Joint Unified?
Besides Virginia Peterson Elementary, Paso Robles Joint Unified also operates Paso Robles High (1,986 students), George H. Flamson Middle (884 students), and Georgia Brown Dual Immersion Magnet Elementary (682 students). See the Paso Robles Joint 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.