Enrollment
1,315
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Costa Mesa, CA
Access County Community
Federal NCES profile for Access County Community, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 069102410567
👥 S:T ratio 19
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Access County Community earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #6 of 7
- schools in Costa Mesa · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.2:1
- students per teacher
- 76.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Access County Community has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Access County Community ranks #6 of 7 schools in Costa Mesa, CA.
School address
District: Orange County Department of Education · California
NCES ID 069102410567 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
65.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Access County Community compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Access County Community
Access County Community is a high-poverty, large combined-grade school in Costa Mesa, California, enrolling 1,315 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 20.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 76.2% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,315 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 464 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #237.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (79%) and White (10%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 329 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
The surrounding Orange County Department of Education spends $90,934 per pupil, 451% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Costa Mesa's public schools, it stands alongside Costa Mesa High (1,730 students): Access County Community is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.2:1 vs 19.2:1).
Orange County Department of Education also operates Orange County Special Education (331 students) and Occs:Chep/Pchs (290 students) alongside Access County Community.
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 Access County Community compares
Access County Community on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.2:1 | ▼ 6% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.2% | ▲ 37% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,315 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.2:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,315
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20.2:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 36% in California - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Funding equity
$90,934
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 329 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 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 79.1%
White 10.0%
Two or More 3.9%
Asian 3.6%
African American 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 79.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.1, Access County Community is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Orange County Department of Education, which includes Access County Community.
$90,934
Per student
+451%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+448%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.2%
State 29.5%
Federal 10.3%
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 Access County Community Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County Special Education | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Occs:Chep/Pchs | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Access Juvenile Hall | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| College and Career Preparatory Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Access County Community's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 331
- Students per teacher
- 7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 290
- Students per teacher
- 29:1
- Resource Index
- 0/100
- Enrollment
- 186
- Students per teacher
- 6.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 168
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 4/100
Similar other schools in Costa Mesa
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Costa Mesa High
Standard public school
1,730 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
California Pacific Charter- Los Angeles
Standard public school
423 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Orange County Special Education
Special-education school
331 students 7:1 students per teacher
California Pacific Charter - San Diego
Standard public school
310 students 8.2:1 students per teacher
Access Juvenile Hall
Alternative education program
186 students 6.9:1 students per teacher
Monte Vista High/Cloud Campus
Alternative education program
48 students 2.3:1 students per teacher
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 (~1,315 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Access County Community's federal record.
- Compare Access County Community against another school. Compare schools
- Orange County Department of Education'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 Access County Community
How many students attend Access County Community?
Access County Community has 1,315 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Costa Mesa, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Access County Community?
The student-teacher ratio at Access County Community is 20.2:1, which is 6% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 29% 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 Access County Community?
76.2% of students at Access County Community are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Access County Community?
The largest demographic group at Access County Community is Hispanic or Latino at 79.1% of enrollment, in Costa Mesa, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Access County Community?
Access County Community has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Access County Community rank among schools in Costa Mesa?
By Resource Investment Index, Access County Community ranks #6 of 7 schools in Costa Mesa, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Costa Mesa on the city page.
Is Access County Community a good school?
Access County Community earns 28/100 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 Orange County Department of Education?
Besides Access County Community, Orange County Department of Education also operates Orange County Special Education (331 students), Occs:Chep/Pchs (290 students), and Access Juvenile Hall (186 students). See the Orange County Department of Education district page for the complete list.
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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.