International School for Science and Culture District

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. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

Costa Mesa, California - 1 schools

At $13,746 per pupil, International School for Science and Culture District ranks #1599 of 1880 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

130
Total Enrollment
1
Schools
$13,746
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

International School for Science and Culture District operates 1 public schools serving 130 students, placing it among the smallest districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 elementary schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Orange County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,746 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 1880 California districts by per-pupil spending. See how California compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 77.0% local, 18.0% state, and 5.0% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers.

a 970:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 12.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 45.4% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% White, 16.5% Asian across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is International School for Science and Culture, enrolling 97 students (100% of the district's total enrollment).

Enrollment across the district's NCES-reporting campuses fell 12.3% between 2022-23 and 2023-24 (130 to 114 students), and the student-teacher ratio tightened by 2.7 students per teacher as staffing held steadier than enrollment, per the NCES Common Core of Data annual universe files.

Of the district's $1,821,000 in reported FY2023 expenditures, 45.5% went to instruction, 46.6% to support services, and 1.8% to capital outlay, support-services-heavy relative to typical districts, reflecting spending on transportation, administration, or student services. Figures come from the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey's function-level breakdown, not the aggregate per-pupil figure above.

International School for Science and Culture accounts for 74.6% of all International School for Science and Culture District student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of International School for Science and Culture District a distant remainder — means International School for Science and Culture District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: elementary. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Because it contains a majority of the affected population, enrollment-weighted aggregates will sit closer to this entity's reported fields than to those of smaller peers; an unweighted entity count answers a different question.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

International School for Science and Culture District reports 53.1% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share clears the 50% majority mark. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

International School for Science and Culture District student-counselor ratio is 970:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

International School for Science and Culture District chronic absenteeism rate is 12.4% — low (typically associated with lower-than-average attendance disruption; districts in this range often have attendance interventions, robust transportation, or smaller catchments that reduce barriers)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

5.0%
Federal
18.0%
State
77.0%
Local

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 1 schools in International School for Science and Culture District.

White 19.6%
Hispanic or Latino 45.4%
African American 1.0%
Asian 16.5%
Multiracial 17.5%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

970:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
12.4%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in International School for Science and Culture District

School Enrollment
International School for Science and Culture
Charter
97

How International School for Science and Culture District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The California districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Outside Creek Elementary Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Point Arena Joint Union High Similar size No spending data No revenue-mix data
Excelsior Charter School Corona-Norco District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Shanel Valley Academy District Similar size Higher spending No revenue-mix data
Gateway College and Career Academy District Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to International School for Science and Culture District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in California

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare International School for Science and Culture District

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Los Angeles Unified →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in International School for Science and Culture District?

International School for Science and Culture District has 1 school, including 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 130 students.

How much does International School for Science and Culture District spend per student?

International School for Science and Culture District spends $13,746 per student.

What is the demographic composition of International School for Science and Culture District?

International School for Science and Culture District students are 45.4% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% White, 16.5% Asian, 1.0% African American, averaged across 1 school. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.