Enrollment
633
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · El Cajon, CA
Vista Grande Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Vista Grande Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060681007655
👥 S:T ratio 3
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vista Grande Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of California schools.
- #2 of 24
- elementary schools in El Cajon · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.3:1
- large classes for California
- 36.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Vista Grande Elementary has class sizes larger than 74% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vista Grande Elementary ranks #2 of 24 elementary schools in El Cajon, CA.
School address
District: Cajon Valley Union · California
NCES ID 060681007655 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vista Grande Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vista Grande Elementary
Vista Grande Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in El Cajon, California, enrolling 633 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.3:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 36.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 633 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,382 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #151.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 52/100).
17.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among El Cajon's elementary schools, it stands alongside Naranca Elementary (985 students): Vista Grande Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24.3:1 vs 30.8:1).
Cajon Valley Union also operates Hillsdale Middle (1,481 students) and Naranca Elementary (985 students) alongside Vista Grande 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 Grande Elementary compares
Vista Grande 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 | 24.3:1 | ▲ 13% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.4% | ▼ 34% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 633 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.3:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
633
Bigger than 75% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% 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
24.3:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 74% in California - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
17.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$17,179
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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 11.1%
Asian 3.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
African American 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 66.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.7, Vista Grande Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cajon Valley Union, which includes Vista Grande Elementary.
$17,179
Per student
+4%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.3%
State 58.5%
Federal 13.2%
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 Vista Grande Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hillsdale Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Naranca Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cajon Valley Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Montgomery Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lexington Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Vista Grande Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,481
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 985
- Students per teacher
- 30.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 942
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 929
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 878
- Students per teacher
- 27.4:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
Similar elementary schools in El Cajon
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Naranca Elementary
Standard public school
985 students 30.8:1 students per teacher
Lexington Elementary
Standard public school
878 students 27.4:1 students per teacher
Johnson Elementary
Standard public school
766 students 28.4:1 students per teacher
Chase Avenue Elementary
Standard public school
757 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Flying Hills School of Arts
Standard public school
742 students 26.5:1 students per teacher
Magnolia Elementary
Standard public school
703 students 29.3:1 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 (~633 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vista Grande Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Vista Grande Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Cajon Valley Union'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 Grande Elementary
How many students attend Vista Grande Elementary?
Vista Grande Elementary has 633 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in El Cajon, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vista Grande Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Vista Grande Elementary is 24.3:1, which is 13% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 55% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Vista Grande Elementary?
36.4% of students at Vista Grande Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vista Grande Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Vista Grande Elementary is White at 66.5% of enrollment, in El Cajon, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vista Grande Elementary?
Vista Grande Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Vista Grande Elementary rank among elementary schools in El Cajon?
By Resource Investment Index, Vista Grande Elementary ranks #2 of 24 elementary schools in El Cajon, 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 El Cajon on the city page.
Is Vista Grande Elementary a good school?
Vista Grande Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% 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 Cajon Valley Union?
Besides Vista Grande Elementary, Cajon Valley Union also operates Hillsdale Middle (1,481 students), Naranca Elementary (985 students), and Cajon Valley Middle (942 students). See the Cajon Valley Union 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.