Enrollment
207
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Grass Valley, CA
Arete Charter Academy
Federal NCES profile for Arete Charter Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063093014123Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 17
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 97
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Arete Charter Academy earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #1 of 12
- elementary schools in Grass Valley · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.7:1
- students per teacher
- 28.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Arete Charter Academy has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Arete Charter Academy ranks #1 of 12 elementary schools in Grass Valley, CA.
School address
District: Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 063093014123 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Arete Charter Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Arete Charter Academy
Arete Charter Academy is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Grass Valley, California, enrolling 207 students.
At 20.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 28.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 207 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 285 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #112.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1035 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 1.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary spends $12,557 per pupil, 24% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Grass Valley's elementary schools, it stands alongside Grass Valley Charter (546 students): Arete Charter Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.7:1 vs 24.8:1).
Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary also operates Cottage Hill Elementary (485 students) and Magnolia Intermediate (410 students) alongside Arete Charter Academy.
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 Arete Charter Academy compares
Arete Charter Academy on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.7:1 | ▼ 4% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.2% | ▼ 49% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 207 | top 82% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.7:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
207
Bigger than 20% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20.7:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 41% in California - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
1.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$12,557
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.2 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 76.3%
Hispanic or Latino 13.0%
Two or More 9.7%
Asian 1.0%
Largest group: White at 76.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.1, Arete Charter Academy is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary, which includes Arete Charter Academy.
$12,557
Per student
-24%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.8%
State 31.1%
Federal 10.1%
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 Arete Charter Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cottage Hill Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Magnolia Intermediate | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alta Sierra Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Arete Charter Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 485
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 410
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 338
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
Similar elementary schools in Grass Valley
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Grass Valley Charter
Standard public school
546 students 24.8:1 students per teacher
Union Hill Elementary
Standard public school
542 students 20.8:1 students per teacher
Cottage Hill Elementary
Standard public school
485 students 24.3:1 students per teacher
Lyman Gilmore Middle
Standard public school
464 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Margaret G. Scotten Elementary
Standard public school
357 students 19.8:1 students per teacher
Alta Sierra Elementary
Standard public school
338 students 22.5:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~207 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Arete Charter Academy's federal record.
- Compare Arete Charter Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Pleasant Ridge Union 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 Arete Charter Academy
How many students attend Arete Charter Academy?
Arete Charter Academy has 207 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Grass Valley, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Arete Charter Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Arete Charter Academy is 20.7:1, which is 4% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 32% 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 Arete Charter Academy?
28.2% of students at Arete Charter Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Arete Charter Academy?
The largest demographic group at Arete Charter Academy is White at 76.3% of enrollment, in Grass Valley, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Arete Charter Academy?
Arete Charter Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Arete Charter Academy rank among elementary schools in Grass Valley?
By Resource Investment Index, Arete Charter Academy ranks #1 of 12 elementary schools in Grass Valley, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Grass Valley on the city page.
Is Arete Charter Academy a good school?
Arete Charter Academy earns 36/100 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 Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary?
Besides Arete Charter Academy, Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary also operates Cottage Hill Elementary (485 students), Magnolia Intermediate (410 students), and Alta Sierra Elementary (338 students). See the Pleasant Ridge Union 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.