Enrollment
465
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Palmdale, CA
Vista San Gabriel Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Vista San Gabriel Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 17/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 064281009209
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vista San Gabriel Elementary earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 83% of California schools.
- #27 of 31
- elementary schools in Palmdale · Resource Index
- 17
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.2:1
- small classes for California
- 87.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Vista San Gabriel Elementary has class sizes smaller than 83% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vista San Gabriel Elementary ranks #27 of 31 elementary schools in Palmdale, CA.
School address
District: Wilsona Elementary · California
NCES ID 064281009209 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
87.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+57% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vista San Gabriel Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vista San Gabriel Elementary
Vista San Gabriel Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Palmdale, California, enrolling 465 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 17.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 87.2% of students qualify for free meals, 57% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 465 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.
Among 1,661 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,316, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 33/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 465 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 78.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Palmdale's elementary schools, it stands alongside Los Amigos - Dual Immersion (1,027 students): Vista San Gabriel Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.2:1 vs 28.5:1).
Its district, Wilsona Elementary, also runs Challenger Middle (403 students).
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 San Gabriel Elementary compares
Vista San Gabriel 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 | 17.2:1 | ▼ 20% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.2% | ▲ 57% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 465 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
465
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
87.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 57% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 17% in California - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
78.7%
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
$18,067
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 465 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 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 81.1%
White 11.0%
African American 6.0%
Two or More 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 81.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.6, Vista San Gabriel Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wilsona Elementary, which includes Vista San Gabriel Elementary.
$18,067
Per student
+9%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.4%
State 69.3%
Federal 15.3%
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 San Gabriel Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Challenger Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Vista San Gabriel Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 403
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
Similar elementary schools in Palmdale
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Los Amigos - Dual Immersion
Alternative education program
1,027 students 28.5:1 students per teacher
Esperanza Elementary
Standard public school
962 students 26.7:1 students per teacher
Dos Caminos Dual Immersion
Alternative education program
945 students 27:1 students per teacher
Gregg Anderson Academy
Standard public school
893 students 27.9:1 students per teacher
Rancho Vista Elementary
Standard public school
886 students 26.8:1 students per teacher
Palmdale Learning Plaza
Standard public school
800 students 22.9:1 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 (~465 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vista San Gabriel Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Vista San Gabriel Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Wilsona 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 Vista San Gabriel Elementary
How many students attend Vista San Gabriel Elementary?
Vista San Gabriel Elementary has 465 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Palmdale, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vista San Gabriel Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Vista San Gabriel Elementary is 17.2:1, which is 20% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 10% 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 Vista San Gabriel Elementary?
87.2% of students at Vista San Gabriel Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vista San Gabriel Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Vista San Gabriel Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 81.1% of enrollment, in Palmdale, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vista San Gabriel Elementary?
Vista San Gabriel Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 17/100 (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 San Gabriel Elementary rank among elementary schools in Palmdale?
By Resource Investment Index, Vista San Gabriel Elementary ranks #27 of 31 elementary schools in Palmdale, 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 Palmdale on the city page.
Is Vista San Gabriel Elementary a good school?
Vista San Gabriel Elementary earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller 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 Wilsona Elementary?
Besides Vista San Gabriel Elementary, Wilsona Elementary also operates Challenger Middle (403 students). See the Wilsona 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.