Enrollment
350
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Santa Ana, CA
Cesar E. Chavez High
Federal NCES profile for Cesar E. Chavez High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 063531004767
👥 S:T ratio 30
📚 AP courses 15
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 65
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cesar E. Chavez High earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #7 of 12
- high schools in Santa Ana · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.5:1
- small classes for California
- 83.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Cesar E. Chavez High has class sizes smaller than 81% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cesar E. Chavez High ranks #7 of 12 high schools in Santa Ana, CA.
School address
District: Santa Ana Unified · California
NCES ID 063531004767 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
83.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cesar E. Chavez High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cesar E. Chavez High
Cesar E. Chavez High is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Santa Ana, California, enrolling 350 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 17.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 83.0% of students qualify for free meals, 50% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 350 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,450 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #122, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (99% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 2/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 3 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 175 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 93.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Santa Ana's high schools, it stands alongside Santa Ana High (2,505 students): Cesar E. Chavez High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.5:1 vs 18.6:1).
Santa Ana Unified also operates Santa Ana High (2,505 students) and Segerstrom High (2,376 students) alongside Cesar E. Chavez 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 Cesar E. Chavez High compares
Cesar E. Chavez 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 | 17.5:1 | ▼ 19% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 83.0% | ▲ 50% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 350 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.5:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
350
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
83.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.5:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 19% in California - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
93.7%
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
$18,933
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 175 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 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 98.9%
White 0.6%
Asian 0.3%
Two or More 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 98.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 2.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 2.2, Cesar E. Chavez High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Santa Ana Unified, which includes Cesar E. Chavez High.
$18,933
Per student
+15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.0%
State 54.7%
Federal 19.3%
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.
How Cesar E. Chavez High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Segerstrom High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hector G. Godinez | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Century High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cesar E. Chavez High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,505
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 2,376
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,908
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,687
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,519
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar high schools in Santa Ana
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Santa Ana High
Standard public school
2,505 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Segerstrom High
Standard public school
2,376 students 24.2:1 students per teacher
Foothill High
Standard public school
2,126 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Valley High
Standard public school
1,908 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Hector G. Godinez
Standard public school
1,687 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Century High
Standard public school
1,519 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
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 (~350 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cesar E. Chavez High's federal record.
- Compare Cesar E. Chavez High against another school. Compare schools
- Santa Ana 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 Cesar E. Chavez High
How many students attend Cesar E. Chavez High?
Cesar E. Chavez High has 350 students enrolled. It is a high school in Santa Ana, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cesar E. Chavez High?
The student-teacher ratio at Cesar E. Chavez High is 17.5:1, which is 19% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 11% 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 Cesar E. Chavez High?
83.0% of students at Cesar E. Chavez High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cesar E. Chavez High?
The largest demographic group at Cesar E. Chavez High is Hispanic or Latino at 98.9% of enrollment, in Santa Ana, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cesar E. Chavez High?
Cesar E. Chavez High has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cesar E. Chavez High rank among high schools in Santa Ana?
By Resource Investment Index, Cesar E. Chavez High ranks #7 of 12 high schools in Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana on the city page.
Is Cesar E. Chavez High a good school?
Cesar E. Chavez High earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of California schools. 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 Santa Ana Unified?
Besides Cesar E. Chavez High, Santa Ana Unified also operates Santa Ana High (2,505 students), Segerstrom High (2,376 students), and Valley High (1,908 students). See the Santa Ana 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.