Enrollment
625
California · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 060003601095
American Lakes — Sacramento, CA
Federal NCES profile for American Lakes, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 26/100.
👥 Class size 8
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Natomas Unified · California
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.9:1
vs 21.6:1 California avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
+25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How American Lakes compares with California and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
American Lakes reports 625 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 29.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 22.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 6% above the California state mean of 21.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 44% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 69.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 25% above the California average and 34% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 49.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Natomas Unified spends $20,128 per pupil district-wide, above the California average of $18,039 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 30.1% from local sources (property taxes), 60.5% from the state, and 9.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How American Lakes compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against California state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.9:1 | ▲ 6% | 21.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.6% | ▲ 25% | 55.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 625 | top 70% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
69.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 25% 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
22.9:1
students per teacher
— 6% above state mean
Top 60% in California — lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
49.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$20,128
per pupil, district-wide
— above California avg of $18,039
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 102 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 7 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 625 Top 70% in California — larger than 30% of 10,006 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 29.0
Students per teacher 22.9:1 +6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 69.6% +25% vs state
NCES ID 060003601095
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 47.4%
African American 27.0%
Two or More 10.7%
White 6.4%
Asian 6.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 47.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 49.8%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 102
Expulsions 7
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Natomas Unified, which includes American Lakes.
$20,128
Per student
+12%
vs California
Avg $18,039
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 30.1%
State 60.5%
Federal 9.4%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,194
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,493
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,157
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Enrollment
- 977
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Enrollment
- 897
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
Similar elementary schools in Sacramento
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Smythe Academy of Arts and Sciences
Standard public school
1,091 students 23.4:1 students per teacher
Las Palmas Elementary
Standard public school
1,001 students 26.1:1 students per teacher
Mary Tsukamoto Elementary
Standard public school
989 students 25.8:1 students per teacher
Heron
Standard public school
977 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Arnold Adreani Elementary
Standard public school
944 students 25:1 students per teacher
Paso Verde
Standard public school
897 students 23.7:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about American Lakes
How many students attend American Lakes?
American Lakes has 625 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Sacramento, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at American Lakes?
The student-teacher ratio at American Lakes is 22.9:1, which is 6% higher than the California average of 21.6:1 and 44% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at American Lakes?
69.6% of students at American Lakes are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of American Lakes?
The largest demographic group at American Lakes is Hispanic or Latino at 47.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in Sacramento, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for American Lakes?
American Lakes has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.