Enrollment
230
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · El Centro, CA
Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences
Federal NCES profile for Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060174412184Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #13 of 13
- elementary schools in El Centro · Resource Index
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.9:1
- students per teacher
- 71.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences ranks #13 of 13 elementary schools in El Centro, CA.
School address
NCES ID 060174412184 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
71.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
+28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences
Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences is a higher-need, mid-sized charter elementary school in El Centro, California, enrolling 230 students.
At 20.9:1, 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 above the state's typical profile, with 71.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 230 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 723 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #653, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (97% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 6/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 22.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among El Centro's elementary schools, it stands alongside Mccabe Elementary (1,109 students): Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.9:1 vs 23.1:1).
Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences District is a single-school charter district, so Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences compares
Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.9:1 | ▼ 3% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.0% | ▲ 28% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 230 | top 81% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.9:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
230
Bigger than 23% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
71.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% 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
20.9:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 42% in California - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
47.4%
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
$15,801
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 97.0%
White 1.7%
Two or More 0.9%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 97.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 5.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 5.9, Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences District, which includes Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences.
$15,801
Per student
-4%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 5.8%
State 72.1%
Federal 22.0%
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 elementary schools in El Centro
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Mccabe Elementary
Standard public school
1,109 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
Harding Elementary
Standard public school
601 students 26.1:1 students per teacher
De Anza Magnet
Standard public school
504 students 25.2:1 students per teacher
Mckinley Elementary
Standard public school
456 students 25.3:1 students per teacher
Margaret Hedrick Elementary
Standard public school
446 students 21.2:1 students per teacher
Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary
Standard public school
445 students 26.2:1 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 (~230 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences's federal record.
- Compare Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences against another school. Compare schools
- Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences District'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 Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences
How many students attend Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences?
Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences has 230 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in El Centro, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences?
The student-teacher ratio at Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences is 20.9:1, which is 3% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 33% 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 Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences?
71.0% of students at Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences?
The largest demographic group at Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences is Hispanic or Latino at 97.0% of enrollment, in El Centro, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences?
Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences rank among elementary schools in El Centro?
By Resource Investment Index, Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences ranks #13 of 13 elementary schools in El Centro, 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 El Centro on the city page.
Is Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences a good school?
Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools. 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 Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences District?
None; Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences District is a single-school charter district, and Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences is its only campus.
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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.