Enrollment
424
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Vista, CA
Bella Mente Montessori Academy
Federal NCES profile for Bella Mente Montessori Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060173713667Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 6
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 15
📋 Attendance 10
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bella Mente Montessori Academy earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #5 of 15
- elementary schools in Vista · Resource Index
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.6:1
- students per teacher
- 50.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Bella Mente Montessori Academy has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bella Mente Montessori Academy ranks #5 of 15 elementary schools in Vista, CA.
School address
District: Bella Mente Montessori Academy District · California
NCES ID 060173713667 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bella Mente Montessori Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bella Mente Montessori Academy
Bella Mente Montessori Academy is a higher-need, mid-sized charter elementary school in Vista, California, enrolling 424 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.6:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 50.8% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 424 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
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 1,399 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,194, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (63%) and White (24%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 424 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Bella Mente Montessori Academy District spends $10,679 per pupil, 35% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Vista's elementary schools, it stands alongside Casita Center for Science/Math/Technology (744 students): Bella Mente Montessori Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (23.6:1 vs 29.8:1).
Bella Mente Montessori Academy District is a single-school charter district, so Bella Mente Montessori Academy 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 Bella Mente Montessori Academy compares
Bella Mente Montessori 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 | 23.6:1 | ▲ 10% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.8% | ▼ 8% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 424 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.6:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
424
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
23.6:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 68% in California - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
36.1%
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
$10,679
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 424 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 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 63.1%
White 24.1%
Two or More 6.1%
African American 2.8%
Asian 2.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 63.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.8, Bella Mente Montessori Academy is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bella Mente Montessori Academy District, which includes Bella Mente Montessori Academy.
$10,679
Per student
-35%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.9%
State 54.4%
Federal 8.8%
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 Vista
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Casita Center for Science/Math/Technology
Standard public school
744 students 29.8:1 students per teacher
Breeze Hill Elementary
Standard public school
742 students 23.9:1 students per teacher
Vista Academy of Visual and Performing Arts
Standard public school
740 students 26.4:1 students per teacher
Grapevine Elementary
Standard public school
730 students 23.5:1 students per teacher
Classical Academy Vista
Standard public school
651 students 25:1 students per teacher
Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary
Standard public school
579 students 22.3:1 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 (~424 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bella Mente Montessori Academy's federal record.
- Compare Bella Mente Montessori Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Bella Mente Montessori Academy 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 Bella Mente Montessori Academy
How many students attend Bella Mente Montessori Academy?
Bella Mente Montessori Academy has 424 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Vista, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bella Mente Montessori Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Bella Mente Montessori Academy is 23.6:1, which is 10% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 50% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bella Mente Montessori Academy?
50.8% of students at Bella Mente Montessori Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bella Mente Montessori Academy?
The largest demographic group at Bella Mente Montessori Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 63.1% of enrollment, in Vista, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bella Mente Montessori Academy?
Bella Mente Montessori Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (lower 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 Bella Mente Montessori Academy rank among elementary schools in Vista?
By Resource Investment Index, Bella Mente Montessori Academy ranks #5 of 15 elementary schools in Vista, 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 Vista on the city page.
Is Bella Mente Montessori Academy a good school?
Bella Mente Montessori Academy earns 15/100 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 Bella Mente Montessori Academy District?
None; Bella Mente Montessori Academy District is a single-school charter district, and Bella Mente Montessori 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.