Making Waves Academy 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.

Richmond, California - 1 schools

An equity score of 74/100 ranks Making Waves Academy District #195 of 1526 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $23,069 per pupil, Making Waves Academy District ranks #237 of 1880 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,124
Total Enrollment
1
Schools
$23,069
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Making Waves Academy District operates 1 public schools serving 1,124 students, placing it among the smallest districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined 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 Contra Costa County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $23,069 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 1880 California districts by per-pupil spending. See how California compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 48.6% local, 40.7% state, and 10.6% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 74/100, ranked #195 of 1526 in California against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 1 schools offering Advanced Placement (7 AP courses district-wide), and 59.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 87.6% Hispanic or Latino, 6.8% African American, 3.9% Asian across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is Making Waves Academy, enrolling 1,078 students (100% of the district's total enrollment).

Making Waves Academy accounts for 95.9% of all Making Waves Academy District student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Making Waves Academy District a distant remainder — means Making Waves Academy District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: combined. 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

Making Waves Academy District reports 66.3% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share sits between 62.5% and 75%, above a simple majority but below the highest descriptive band used here. 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

Making Waves Academy District chronic absenteeism rate is 59.5% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

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 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 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

10.6%
Federal
40.7%
State
48.6%
Local

Funding Equity

74
Equity Score
195 / 1526
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 1 schools in Making Waves Academy District.

White 1.4%
Hispanic or Latino 87.6%
African American 6.8%
Asian 3.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

1 / 1
Schools with AP
7 AP courses total
59.5%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Making Waves Academy District

School Enrollment
Making Waves Academy
Charter
1,078

How Making Waves Academy District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The California districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Monarch River Academy District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Feaster (Mae L.) Charter District Similar size No spending data No revenue-mix data
Saint Helena Unified Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Nevada County Office of Education Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
California Virtual Academy at Maricopa District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Making Waves Academy 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.

Los Angeles Unified
427,795 students · 785 schools · $22,606/pupil
Compare vs Making Waves Academy District →
San Diego Unified
93,893 students · 175 schools · $20,783/pupil
Compare vs Making Waves Academy District →
Fresno Unified
69,668 students · 101 schools · $20,909/pupil
Compare vs Making Waves Academy District →
Long Beach Unified
65,554 students · 84 schools · $18,419/pupil
Compare vs Making Waves Academy District →
Elk Grove Unified
62,061 students · 67 schools · $15,921/pupil
Compare vs Making Waves Academy District →

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 Making Waves Academy 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 Making Waves Academy District?

Making Waves Academy District has 1 school, including 1 combined. Total enrollment is 1,124 students.

How much does Making Waves Academy District spend per student?

Making Waves Academy District spends $23,069 per student. The district has an equity score of 74/100, ranking #195 in California.

What is the demographic composition of Making Waves Academy District?

Making Waves Academy District students are 87.6% Hispanic or Latino, 6.8% African American, 3.9% Asian, 1.4% White, averaged across 1 school. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Making Waves Academy District?

Making Waves Academy District has an equity score of 74/100, ranking #195 out of 1526 districts in California.