Enrollment
84
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Banning, CA
Banning Independent Study
Federal NCES profile for Banning Independent Study, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 060384008555
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 83
📋 Attendance 14
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Banning Independent Study earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #2 of 9
- public schools in Banning · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21:1
- students per teacher
- 75.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Banning Independent Study has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Banning Independent Study ranks #2 of 9 public schools in Banning, CA.
School address
District: Banning Unified · California
NCES ID 060384008555 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
4.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
+37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Banning Independent Study compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Banning Independent Study
Banning Independent Study is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Banning, California, enrolling 84 students.
At 21:1, 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 75.9% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 91% of California schools, with 84 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 228 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #121.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (70%) and White (11%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 84 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Banning Unified also operates Banning High (1,145 students) and Nicolet Middle (966 students) alongside Banning Independent Study.
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 Banning Independent Study compares
Banning Independent Study on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21:1 | ▼ 2% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.9% | ▲ 37% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 84 | top 91% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
84
Bigger than 9% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.9%
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
21:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 43% in California - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
34.5%
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
$17,358
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 84 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
Hispanic or Latino 69.9%
White 10.8%
African American 10.8%
Two or More 3.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.4%
Asian 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 69.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.6, Banning Independent Study is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Banning Unified, which includes Banning Independent Study.
$17,358
Per student
+5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.7%
State 58.1%
Federal 21.1%
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 Banning Independent Study Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banning High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Nicolet Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hemmerling Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hoffer Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Banning Independent Study's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,145
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 966
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 782
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 468
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 367
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
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 (~84 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Banning Independent Study's federal record.
- Compare Banning Independent Study against another school. Compare schools
- Banning Unified'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 Banning Independent Study
How many students attend Banning Independent Study?
Banning Independent Study has 84 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Banning, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Banning Independent Study?
The student-teacher ratio at Banning Independent Study is 21:1, which is 2% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 34% 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 Banning Independent Study?
75.9% of students at Banning Independent Study are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Banning Independent Study?
The largest demographic group at Banning Independent Study is Hispanic or Latino at 69.9% of enrollment, in Banning, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Banning Independent Study?
Banning Independent Study 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 Banning Independent Study rank among public schools in Banning?
By Resource Investment Index, Banning Independent Study ranks #2 of 9 public schools in Banning, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Banning on the city page.
Is Banning Independent Study a good school?
Banning Independent Study 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 Banning Unified?
Besides Banning Independent Study, Banning Unified also operates Banning High (1,145 students), Nicolet Middle (966 students), and Central Elementary (782 students). See the Banning Unified 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.