Enrollment
45
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · El Cajon, CA
Chaparral High
Federal NCES profile for Chaparral High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 061623002017
👥 S:T ratio 74
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 82
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chaparral High earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of California schools.
- #1 of 9
- high schools in El Cajon · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 6.4:1
- small classes for California
- 67.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Chaparral High has class sizes smaller than 98% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chaparral High ranks #1 of 9 high schools in El Cajon, CA.
School address
District: Grossmont Union High · California
NCES ID 061623002017 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
7.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
6.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-70% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
67.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chaparral High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chaparral High
Chaparral High is a higher-need, small high school in El Cajon, California, enrolling 45 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 6.4:1, Chaparral High is leaner than roughly 98% of California schools and 70% 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 67.7% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 94% of California schools, with 45 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 100% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 151 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #5, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (49%) and White (31%) (diversity index 64/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 90 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Discipline events run high: 53 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 45 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among El Cajon's high schools, it stands alongside Granite Hills High (2,331 students): Chaparral High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (6.4:1 vs 24:1).
Grossmont Union High also operates Granite Hills High (2,331 students) and Grossmont High (2,172 students) alongside Chaparral 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 Chaparral High compares
Chaparral 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 | 6.4:1 | ▼ 70% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 67.7% | ▲ 22% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 45 | top 94% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
6.4:1
Leaner classes than 97% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
45
Bigger than 5% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
67.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
6.4:1
students per teacher
- 70% below state mean
Top 2% in California - lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$17,029
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 53 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 117.8 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 48.9%
White 31.1%
African American 15.6%
Two or More 4.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 48.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.8, Chaparral High is more 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 Grossmont Union High, which includes Chaparral High.
$17,029
Per student
+3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.2%
State 38.6%
Federal 12.2%
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 Chaparral High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Granite Hills High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Grossmont High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| El Capitan High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valhalla High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| El Cajon Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chaparral High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,331
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,172
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,810
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,728
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,701
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar high schools in El Cajon
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Granite Hills High
Standard public school
2,331 students 24:1 students per teacher
Valhalla High
Standard public school
1,728 students 22.2:1 students per teacher
El Cajon Valley High
Standard public school
1,701 students 22.4:1 students per teacher
Idea Center
Alternative education program
127 students 7.9:1 students per teacher
Merit Academy
Special-education school
68 students 11.3:1 students per teacher
Grossmont Middle College High
Alternative education program
37 students 18.5:1 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 (~45 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chaparral High's federal record.
- Compare Chaparral High against another school. Compare schools
- Grossmont Union High'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 Chaparral High
How many students attend Chaparral High?
Chaparral High has 45 students enrolled. It is a high school in El Cajon, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chaparral High?
The student-teacher ratio at Chaparral High is 6.4:1, which is 70% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 59% 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 Chaparral High?
67.7% of students at Chaparral High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chaparral High?
The largest demographic group at Chaparral High is Hispanic or Latino at 48.9% of enrollment, in El Cajon, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chaparral High?
Chaparral High has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (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 Chaparral High rank among high schools in El Cajon?
By Resource Investment Index, Chaparral High ranks #1 of 9 high schools in El Cajon, 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 El Cajon on the city page.
Is Chaparral High a good school?
Chaparral High earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% 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 Grossmont Union High?
Besides Chaparral High, Grossmont Union High also operates Granite Hills High (2,331 students), Grossmont High (2,172 students), and El Capitan High (1,810 students). See the Grossmont Union High 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.