Enrollment
401
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Yucca Valley, CA
Yucca Mesa Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Yucca Mesa 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 062586008912
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 7
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Yucca Mesa Elementary earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Yucca Valley · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.1:1
- students per teacher
- 58.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Yucca Mesa Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Yucca Mesa Elementary ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Yucca Valley, CA.
School address
District: Morongo Unified · California
NCES ID 062586008912 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Yucca Mesa Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Yucca Mesa Elementary
Yucca Mesa Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Yucca Valley, California, enrolling 401 students.
At 21.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 58.2% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 401 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 1,541 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #945.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1114 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Yucca Valley's elementary schools, it stands alongside Onaga Elementary (586 students): Yucca Mesa Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.1:1 vs 25.5:1).
Morongo Unified also operates Yucca Valley High (1,168 students) and Twentynine Palms High (719 students) alongside Yucca Mesa 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 Yucca Mesa Elementary compares
Yucca Mesa 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 | 21.1:1 | ▼ 2% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.2% | ▲ 5% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 401 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.1:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
401
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% 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
21.1:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 44% in California - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
37.2%
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
$15,753
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
Counselors0.4 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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: 0.2 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 57.1%
Hispanic or Latino 32.4%
Two or More 4.7%
African American 3.7%
Asian 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 57.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.5, Yucca Mesa Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Morongo Unified, which includes Yucca Mesa Elementary.
$15,753
Per student
-5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.7%
State 72.7%
Federal 15.6%
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 Yucca Mesa Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yucca Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Twentynine Palms High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| La Contenta Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Onaga Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Twentynine Palms Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Yucca Mesa Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,168
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 719
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 647
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 586
- Students per teacher
- 25.5:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 579
- Students per teacher
- 25.2:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar elementary schools in Yucca Valley
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~401 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Yucca Mesa Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Yucca Mesa Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Morongo 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 Yucca Mesa Elementary
How many students attend Yucca Mesa Elementary?
Yucca Mesa Elementary has 401 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Yucca Valley, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Yucca Mesa Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Yucca Mesa Elementary is 21.1:1, which is 2% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 34% 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 Yucca Mesa Elementary?
58.2% of students at Yucca Mesa Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Yucca Mesa Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Yucca Mesa Elementary is White at 57.1% of enrollment, in Yucca Valley, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Yucca Mesa Elementary?
Yucca Mesa 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 Yucca Mesa Elementary rank among elementary schools in Yucca Valley?
By Resource Investment Index, Yucca Mesa Elementary ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Yucca Valley, 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 Yucca Valley on the city page.
Is Yucca Mesa Elementary a good school?
Yucca Mesa Elementary earns 23/100 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 Morongo Unified?
Besides Yucca Mesa Elementary, Morongo Unified also operates Yucca Valley High (1,168 students), Twentynine Palms High (719 students), and La Contenta Middle (647 students). See the Morongo 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.