Capistrano Elementary

Capistrano Elementary is an average-sized elementary-level community in Modesto, California, one of the schools within Empire Union Elementary. The school instructs 469 students in grades K through 6.

Within Empire Union Elementary, which oversees 6 schools and 2,794 students, Capistrano Elementary is one campus in the system.

In terms of who attends, Capistrano Elementary logs that 76% of the student body identifies as Hispanic. Beyond that, the school logs 10% White, 5% multiracial, 5% Black, 4% Asian. That is considerably more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 50%.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 18 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 26.1:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 22.3:1, putting Capistrano Elementary higher than the state norm the norm. An estimated 90% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. By comparison, Stanislaus County runs at roughly 71%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully above the surrounding baseline.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Capistrano Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 26.0%; this one delivers 25.2%.

In the area at large, Stanislaus County reports that median household income runs about $81,468, about 20% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. Capistrano Elementary is one of 190 public schools in Stanislaus County (combined enrollment of about 106,477 students).

Nearest neighbor: Bernard L. Hughes Elementary, around 0.7 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Capistrano Elementary ranks 9th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 36.6%.

Geographically, the school is in a high-density area.

Over the past 7-year window. Capistrano Elementary's enrollment has ticked down 5% since 2018, when it stood at 496 (now 469). The Hispanic share of enrollment climbed from 67% to 76% over that span. Class-load math has widened: from 23.6:1 in 2018 to 26.1:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, posts here usually surface around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.