Enrollment
160
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · San Diego, CA
City Heights Preparatory Charter
Federal NCES profile for City Heights Preparatory Charter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 060170012961Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 68
📋 Attendance 20
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
City Heights Preparatory Charter earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #12 of 27
- schools in San Diego · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.8:1
- small classes for California
- 92.9%
- free-lunch eligible
City Heights Preparatory Charter has class sizes smaller than 80% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, City Heights Preparatory Charter ranks #12 of 27 schools in San Diego, CA.
School address
District: City Heights Preparatory Charter District · California
NCES ID 060170012961 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
9.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
92.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
+67% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How City Heights Preparatory Charter compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at City Heights Preparatory Charter
Small campus with unusually lean teacher staffing
City Heights Preparatory Charter sits near the smaller end of the California enrollment distribution while also reporting a lower student-teacher ratio than most state schools. That pairing is consistent with a compact, teacher-dense setting, though small scale can limit the number of specialized courses or support roles a campus can sustain. The program and staffing sections below show whether the lean ratio extends beyond classroom teachers into broader student services.
Higher need paired with broader reported resources
City Heights Preparatory Charter serves a higher-need student population than most California campuses while its Resource Investment Index still lands in the state's upper tier. That combination is more informative than either figure alone: reported staffing and program capacity are comparatively strong despite a funding context that often carries greater service demands. It does not prove equal outcomes, but it identifies a campus whose federal resource signals are not simply tracking a lower-need intake.
Attendance is the dominant support signal
City Heights Preparatory Charter's 31.9% chronic-absence rate is more consequential than a generic staffing label: at least one quarter of students missed 10% or more of school days in the 2021-22 collection. That level can affect instruction, counseling demand, and continuity even when other reported resources look ordinary. The dataset records the scale of absence but not its causes, so it should prompt a current-year question rather than a conclusion about school management.
City Heights Preparatory Charter is a high-poverty, small charter combined-grade school in San Diego, California, enrolling 160 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 17.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 92.9% of students qualify for free meals, 67% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 160 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.
Against 203 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #85.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (43%) and African American (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 160 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among San Diego's public schools, it stands alongside The O'farrell Charter (1,862 students): City Heights Preparatory Charter is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.8:1 vs 20.7:1).
City Heights Preparatory Charter District is a single-school charter district, so City Heights Preparatory Charter 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 City Heights Preparatory Charter compares
City Heights Preparatory Charter on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.8:1 | ▼ 17% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 92.9% | ▲ 67% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 160 | top 86% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.8:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
160
Bigger than 16% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
92.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 67% 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
17.8:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 20% in California - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
31.9%
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
$20,220
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $18,665
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 160 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 42.5%
African American 27.5%
White 19.4%
Asian 6.3%
Two or More 4.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 42.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.0, City Heights Preparatory Charter is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for City Heights Preparatory Charter District, which includes City Heights Preparatory Charter.
$20,220
Per student
+8%
vs California
Avg $18,665
+15%
vs U.S.
Avg $17,658
Revenue mix
Local 46.2%
State 37.6%
Federal 16.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2022-23 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
Similar other schools in San Diego
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
The O'farrell Charter
Standard public school
1,862 students 20.7:1 students per teacher
Logan Memorial Educational Campus
Standard public school
1,467 students 29.3:1 students per teacher
Charter School of San Diego
Standard public school
1,375 students 29.9:1 students per teacher
San Diego Scpa
Standard public school
1,297 students 24.5:1 students per teacher
Gompers Preparatory Academy
Standard public school
1,175 students 28.7:1 students per teacher
Launch Virtual Academy
Alternative education program
578 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~160 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on City Heights Preparatory Charter's federal record.
- Compare City Heights Preparatory Charter against another school. Compare schools
- City Heights Preparatory Charter 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 City Heights Preparatory Charter
How many students attend City Heights Preparatory Charter?
City Heights Preparatory Charter has 160 students enrolled. It is a public school in San Diego, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at City Heights Preparatory Charter?
The student-teacher ratio at City Heights Preparatory Charter is 17.8:1, which is 17% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 13% 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 City Heights Preparatory Charter?
92.9% of students at City Heights Preparatory Charter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of City Heights Preparatory Charter?
The largest demographic group at City Heights Preparatory Charter is Hispanic or Latino at 42.5% of enrollment, in San Diego, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for City Heights Preparatory Charter?
City Heights Preparatory Charter has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does City Heights Preparatory Charter rank among schools in San Diego?
By Resource Investment Index, City Heights Preparatory Charter ranks #12 of 27 schools in San Diego, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in San Diego on the city page.
What other schools are in City Heights Preparatory Charter District?
None; City Heights Preparatory Charter District is a single-school charter district, and City Heights Preparatory Charter is its only campus.
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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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.