Enrollment
180
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Lakewood, CA
Buena Vista High
Federal NCES profile for Buena Vista High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 062985004647
👥 S:T ratio 52
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 88
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Buena Vista High earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of California schools.
- #1 of 4
- high schools in Lakewood · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12:1
- small classes for California
- 78.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Buena Vista High has class sizes smaller than 94% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Buena Vista High ranks #1 of 4 high schools in Lakewood, CA.
School address
District: Paramount Unified · California
NCES ID 062985004647 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-44% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Buena Vista High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Buena Vista High
Buena Vista High is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Lakewood, California, enrolling 180 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12:1, Buena Vista High is leaner than roughly 94% of California schools and 44% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 78.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 180 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 99% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 438 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #3, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 60 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Its district draws 15.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Lakewood's high schools, it stands alongside Lakewood High (2,305 students): Buena Vista High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12:1 vs 18.6:1).
Paramount Unified also operates Paramount High (3,400 students) and Hollydale (794 students) alongside Buena Vista High.
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 Buena Vista High compares
Buena Vista High on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12:1 | ▼ 44% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.4% | ▲ 41% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 180 | top 84% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
180
Bigger than 17% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
12:1
students per teacher
- 44% below state mean
Top 6% in California - lower ratio than 94% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$18,707
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 60 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.3 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 82.7%
African American 11.7%
White 2.2%
Two or More 1.7%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 82.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.1, Buena Vista High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Paramount Unified, which includes Buena Vista High.
$18,707
Per student
+13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.4%
State 67.2%
Federal 15.4%
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.
How Buena Vista High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paramount High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hollydale | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alondra Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Frank J. Zamboni | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Paramount Park Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Buena Vista High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,400
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 794
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 735
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 650
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 551
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar high schools in Lakewood
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~180 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Buena Vista High's federal record.
- Compare Buena Vista High against another school. Compare schools
- Paramount 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 Buena Vista High
How many students attend Buena Vista High?
Buena Vista High has 180 students enrolled. It is a high school in Lakewood, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Buena Vista High?
The student-teacher ratio at Buena Vista High is 12:1, which is 44% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 24% lower 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 Buena Vista High?
78.4% of students at Buena Vista High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Buena Vista High?
The largest demographic group at Buena Vista High is Hispanic or Latino at 82.7% of enrollment, in Lakewood, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Buena Vista High?
Buena Vista High has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Buena Vista High rank among high schools in Lakewood?
By Resource Investment Index, Buena Vista High ranks #1 of 4 high schools in Lakewood, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Lakewood on the city page.
Is Buena Vista High a good school?
Buena Vista High earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of 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 Paramount Unified?
Besides Buena Vista High, Paramount Unified also operates Paramount High (3,400 students), Hollydale (794 students), and Alondra Middle (735 students). See the Paramount 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.