Enrollment
34
California · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 060837012830
Center for Alternative Learning — Chico, CA
Federal NCES profile for Center for Alternative Learning, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 44/100.
👥 Class size 60
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 86
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Chico Unified · California
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
3.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10:1
vs 21.6:1 California avg
-54% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
+80% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Center for Alternative Learning compares with California and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Center for Alternative Learning reports 34 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 3.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 10:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 54% below the California state mean of 21.6:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 37% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 100.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 80% above the California average and 93% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 68 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 100.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Chico Unified spends $17,486 per pupil district-wide, below the California average of $18,039 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 35.8% from local sources (property taxes), 51.0% from the state, and 13.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Center for Alternative Learning compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against California state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10:1 | ▼ 54% | 21.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 80% | 55.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 34 | top 5% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
— 80% 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
10:1
students per teacher
— 54% below state mean
Top 4% in California — lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
100.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$17,486
per pupil, district-wide
— below California avg of $18,039
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Per 68 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 61.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 34 Top 5% in California — larger than 95% of 10,006 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 3.0
Students per teacher 10:1 -54% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 100.0% +80% vs state
NCES ID 060837012830
Student demographics
White 38.2%
Hispanic or Latino 32.4%
Two or More 14.7%
African American 8.8%
Asian 2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.9%
Largest group: White at 38.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.5
Students per counselor 68:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 100.0%
In-school suspensions 2
Out-of-school suspensions 19
Expulsions 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chico Unified, which includes Center for Alternative Learning.
$17,486
Per student
-3%
vs California
Avg $18,039
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 35.8%
State 51.0%
Federal 13.3%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,978
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,804
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,012
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Enrollment
- 861
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Enrollment
- 716
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
Similar other schools in Chico
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Core Butte Charter
Standard public school
916 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Oak Bridge Academy
Alternative education program
188 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Pivot Charter School North Valley Ii
Standard public school
105 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Oakdale
Alternative education program
92 students 40.5:1 students per teacher
Academy for Change
Alternative education program
31 students 24:1 students per teacher
Butte County Community
Alternative education program
20 students 13:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Center for Alternative Learning
How many students attend Center for Alternative Learning?
Center for Alternative Learning has 34 students enrolled. It is a other school in Chico, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Center for Alternative Learning?
The student-teacher ratio at Center for Alternative Learning is 10:1, which is 54% lower than the California average of 21.6:1 and 37% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Center for Alternative Learning?
100.0% of students at Center for Alternative Learning are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Center for Alternative Learning?
The largest demographic group at Center for Alternative Learning is White at 38.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in Chico, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Center for Alternative Learning?
Center for Alternative Learning has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.