Enrollment
692
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Clemente, CA
Vista Del Mar Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Vista Del Mar Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060744011267
👥 S:T ratio 4
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vista Del Mar Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of California schools.
- #5 of 7
- elementary schools in San Clemente · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.9:1
- large classes for California
- 10.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Vista Del Mar Elementary has class sizes larger than 70% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vista Del Mar Elementary ranks #5 of 7 elementary schools in San Clemente, CA.
School address
District: Capistrano Unified · California
NCES ID 060744011267 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-80% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vista Del Mar Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vista Del Mar Elementary
Vista Del Mar Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in San Clemente, California, enrolling 692 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.9:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 10.9% free-meal eligibility runs 80% below the California average.
Enrollment of 692 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 890 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #647, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 692 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among San Clemente's elementary schools, it stands alongside Las Palmas Elementary (743 students): Vista Del Mar Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (23.9:1 vs 24.8:1).
Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students) and San Juan Hills High (2,641 students) alongside Vista Del Mar 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 Vista Del Mar Elementary compares
Vista Del Mar 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 | 23.9:1 | ▲ 11% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.9% | ▼ 80% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 692 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.9:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
692
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 80% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
23.9:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 70% in California - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
21.2%
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 692 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.1 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
White 66.5%
Hispanic or Latino 16.3%
Two or More 13.7%
Asian 3.0%
African American 0.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 66.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.2, Vista Del Mar 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 Vista Del Mar 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 Vista Del Mar Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Clemente High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Juan Hills High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aliso Niguel High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tesoro High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Capistrano Valley High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Vista Del Mar 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 San Clemente
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Las Palmas Elementary
Standard public school
743 students 24.8:1 students per teacher
Truman Benedict Elementary
Standard public school
602 students 25.1:1 students per teacher
Concordia Elementary
Standard public school
533 students 26.6:1 students per teacher
San Onofre Elementary
Standard public school
489 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Clarence Lobo Elementary
Standard public school
328 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Marblehead Elementary
Standard public school
195 students 19.5:1 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 (~692 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vista Del Mar Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Vista Del Mar 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 Vista Del Mar Elementary
How many students attend Vista Del Mar Elementary?
Vista Del Mar Elementary has 692 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Clemente, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vista Del Mar Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Vista Del Mar Elementary is 23.9:1, which is 11% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 52% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Vista Del Mar Elementary?
10.9% of students at Vista Del Mar Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vista Del Mar Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Vista Del Mar Elementary is White at 66.5% of enrollment, in San Clemente, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vista Del Mar Elementary?
Vista Del Mar Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (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 Vista Del Mar Elementary rank among elementary schools in San Clemente?
By Resource Investment Index, Vista Del Mar Elementary ranks #5 of 7 elementary schools in San Clemente, 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 San Clemente on the city page.
Is Vista Del Mar Elementary a good school?
Vista Del Mar Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger 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 Capistrano Unified?
Besides Vista Del Mar 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.