Enrollment
285
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Helendale, CA
Academy of Careers and Exploration
Federal NCES profile for Academy of Careers and Exploration, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 061686012368Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 57
📋 Attendance 9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Academy of Careers and Exploration earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Helendale · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.4:1
- students per teacher
- 43.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Academy of Careers and Exploration has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Academy of Careers and Exploration ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Helendale, CA.
School address
District: Helendale Elementary · California
NCES ID 061686012368 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Academy of Careers and Exploration compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Academy of Careers and Exploration
Academy of Careers and Exploration is a mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Helendale, California, enrolling 285 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 20.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 43.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 285 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 710 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #385.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (53%) and White (34%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 214 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Helendale's public schools, it stands alongside Independence Charter Academy (118 students): Academy of Careers and Exploration is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.4:1 vs 16.9:1).
Helendale Elementary also operates Helendale Elementary (541 students) and Riverview Middle (141 students) alongside Academy of Careers and Exploration.
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 Academy of Careers and Exploration compares
Academy of Careers and Exploration on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.4:1 | ▼ 5% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.2% | ▼ 22% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 285 | top 75% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.4:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
285
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20.4:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 38% in California - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
36.5%
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
$13,560
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
Counselors1.3 FTE
Per 214 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.6 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
Hispanic or Latino 52.6%
White 33.7%
African American 6.0%
Two or More 3.5%
Asian 2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 52.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.4, Academy of Careers and Exploration is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Helendale Elementary, which includes Academy of Careers and Exploration.
$13,560
Per student
-18%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.3%
State 72.1%
Federal 7.6%
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 Academy of Careers and Exploration Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helendale Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Riverview Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Independence Charter Academy | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Academy of Careers and Exploration's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 541
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 141
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 118
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools in Helendale
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~285 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Academy of Careers and Exploration's federal record.
- Compare Academy of Careers and Exploration against another school. Compare schools
- Helendale Elementary'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 Academy of Careers and Exploration
How many students attend Academy of Careers and Exploration?
Academy of Careers and Exploration has 285 students enrolled. It is a public school in Helendale, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Academy of Careers and Exploration?
The student-teacher ratio at Academy of Careers and Exploration is 20.4:1, which is 5% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 30% 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 Academy of Careers and Exploration?
43.2% of students at Academy of Careers and Exploration are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Academy of Careers and Exploration?
The largest demographic group at Academy of Careers and Exploration is Hispanic or Latino at 52.6% of enrollment, in Helendale, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Academy of Careers and Exploration?
Academy of Careers and Exploration has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Academy of Careers and Exploration rank among public schools in Helendale?
By Resource Investment Index, Academy of Careers and Exploration ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Helendale, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Helendale on the city page.
Is Academy of Careers and Exploration a good school?
Academy of Careers and Exploration earns 29/100 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 Helendale Elementary?
Besides Academy of Careers and Exploration, Helendale Elementary also operates Helendale Elementary (541 students), Riverview Middle (141 students), and Independence Charter Academy (118 students). See the Helendale Elementary 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.