Harold Ambuehl Elementary

Harold Ambuehl Elementary operates as a low-enrollment elementary-level community in San Juan Capistrano, California, operated by Capistrano Unified. Current enrollment sits at 324 students spanning grades K through 5. By comparison, California's public schools average about 465 students each, so Harold Ambuehl Elementary sits 30% below that benchmark.

Within Capistrano Unified, which oversees 58 schools and 40,251 students, Harold Ambuehl Elementary is one campus in the system.

On the student-mix side, Harold Ambuehl Elementary shows that the largest single group is White, at 56% of enrollment. The remainder is composed of 27% Hispanic, 14% multiracial. That is noticeably more White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 43%.

On the resource side, Harold Ambuehl Elementary shows 14 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 23.2:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 22.3:1, putting Harold Ambuehl Elementary higher than the state norm the norm. An estimated 35% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. That share is noticeably below Orange County's rate of about 55%.

With demographic context factored in, Harold Ambuehl Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 58.5% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 56.3%.

Across the wider county, census data for Orange County shows median household income runs about $116,289, roughly 44% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Orange County's 649 public schools (combined enrollment of about 430,458 students), Harold Ambuehl Elementary is one campus in the mix.

California Republic Leadership Academy Capistrano is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.1 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

The campus sits in an outer-ring setting.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count decreased 14%: 377 students in 2018 compared to 324 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment decreased from 41% to 27% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 26.9:1 in 2018 to 23.2:1 today.

On the community side, the feed for Harold Ambuehl Elementary typically covers school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.