Enrollment
6,276
Ohio · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Independence, OH
Alternative Education Academy
Federal NCES profile for Alternative Education Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 10/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 390020304727Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Alternative Education Academy earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Ohio schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Ohio.
- #4 of 5
- public schools in Independence · Resource Index
- 10
- Resource Index · Lower
- 31.7:1
- large classes for Ohio
- 6,276
- students enrolled
Alternative Education Academy has class sizes larger than 96% of Ohio schools. Computed live against every Ohio school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Alternative Education Academy ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Independence, OH.
School address
District: Alternative Education Academy · Ohio
NCES ID 390020304727 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
198.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
31.7:1
vs 18.2:1 Ohio avg
+74% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Alternative Education Academy compares with Ohio and U.S. medians
What stands out at Alternative Education Academy
Alternative Education Academy is a large charter combined-grade school in Independence, Ohio, enrolling 6,276 students.
Class loads run heavy: 31.7:1 is larger than about 96% of Ohio schools and 74% above the 18.2:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Ohio, bigger than 99% of state schools at 6,276 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 3,574 Ohio schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and African American (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1046 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
The surrounding Alternative Education Academy spends $8,694 per pupil, 41% below the Ohio average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Independence's public schools, it stands alongside Independence Primary School (440 students): Alternative Education Academy is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (31.7:1 vs 16.3:1).
Alternative Education Academy is a single-school charter district, so Alternative Education Academy operates independently rather than alongside district-mates. At 6,276 students, it is also among the largest single-school districts in Ohio, well beyond the enrollment of a typical standalone charter.
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 Alternative Education Academy compares
Alternative Education Academy on the metrics families compare, against Ohio and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Ohio | Ohio avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 31.7:1 | ▲ 74% | 18.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 6,276 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
31.7:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
6,276
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
31.7:1
students per teacher
- 74% above state mean
Top 96% in Ohio - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$8,694
per pupil, district-wide
- below Ohio avg of $14,655
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 1046 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
White 59.2%
African American 24.3%
Hispanic or Latino 9.2%
Two or More 6.0%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 59.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.8, Alternative Education Academy is more mixed than the Ohio school average of 35.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alternative Education Academy, which includes Alternative Education Academy.
$8,694
Per student
-41%
vs Ohio
Avg $14,655
-48%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 0.1%
State 82.0%
Federal 17.9%
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.
Similar other schools in Independence
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 Ohio, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~6,276 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Alternative Education Academy's federal record.
- Compare Alternative Education Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Alternative Education Academy'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 Alternative Education Academy
How many students attend Alternative Education Academy?
Alternative Education Academy has 6,276 students enrolled. It is a public school in Independence, OH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Alternative Education Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Alternative Education Academy is 31.7:1, which is 74% higher than the Ohio average of 18.2:1 and 102% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Alternative Education Academy?
The largest demographic group at Alternative Education Academy is White at 59.2% of enrollment, in Independence, OH. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Alternative Education Academy?
Alternative Education Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 10/100 (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 Alternative Education Academy rank among public schools in Independence?
By Resource Investment Index, Alternative Education Academy ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Independence, OH. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Independence on the city page.
Is Alternative Education Academy a good school?
Alternative Education Academy earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Ohio schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Ohio. 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 Alternative Education Academy?
None; Alternative Education Academy is a single-school charter district, and Alternative Education Academy is its only campus.
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.