Enrollment
1,581
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Escondido, CA
Classical Academy
Federal NCES profile for Classical Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060156008300Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 94
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Classical Academy earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of California schools.
- #18 of 23
- elementary schools in Escondido · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 29.3:1
- large classes for California
- 20.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Classical Academy has class sizes larger than 95% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Classical Academy ranks #18 of 23 elementary schools in Escondido, CA.
School address
District: Classical Academy District · California
NCES ID 060156008300 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
29.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+36% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
20.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
-63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Classical Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Classical Academy
Classical Academy is a large charter elementary school in Escondido, California, enrolling 1,581 students.
Class loads run heavy: 29.3:1 is larger than about 95% of California schools and 36% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 20.6% free-meal eligibility runs 63% below the California average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,581 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 351 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #229.
Its student body is led by White (55%) and Hispanic or Latino (28%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 527 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 2.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Classical Academy District spends $10,236 per pupil, 38% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Escondido's elementary schools, it stands alongside Heritage K-8 Charter (1,345 students): Classical Academy is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (29.3:1 vs 22:1).
Classical Academy District is a single-school charter district, so Classical Academy 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 Classical Academy compares
Classical Academy on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 29.3:1 | ▲ 36% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.6% | ▼ 63% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,581 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
29.3:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,581
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
20.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
29.3:1
students per teacher
- 36% above state mean
Top 95% in California - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
2.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$10,236
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 527 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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
White 54.5%
Hispanic or Latino 28.3%
Two or More 9.8%
Asian 6.2%
African American 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 54.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.9, Classical Academy is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Classical Academy District, which includes Classical Academy.
$10,236
Per student
-38%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.7%
State 57.3%
Federal 3.9%
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.
Similar elementary schools in Escondido
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Heritage K-8 Charter
Standard public school
1,345 students 22:1 students per teacher
Community Montessori
Standard public school
795 students 27.4:1 students per teacher
L. R. Green Elementary
Standard public school
717 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Oak Hill Elementary
Standard public school
679 students 21.2:1 students per teacher
Bernardo Elementary
Standard public school
664 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
Reidy Creek Elementary
Standard public school
626 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~1,581 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~29.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Classical Academy's federal record.
- Compare Classical Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Classical Academy 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 Classical Academy
How many students attend Classical Academy?
Classical Academy has 1,581 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Escondido, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Classical Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Classical Academy is 29.3:1, which is 36% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 87% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Classical Academy?
20.6% of students at Classical Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Classical Academy?
The largest demographic group at Classical Academy is White at 54.5% of enrollment, in Escondido, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Classical Academy?
Classical Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Classical Academy rank among elementary schools in Escondido?
By Resource Investment Index, Classical Academy ranks #18 of 23 elementary schools in Escondido, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Escondido on the city page.
Is Classical Academy a good school?
Classical Academy earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% 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 Classical Academy District?
None; Classical Academy District is a single-school charter district, and Classical Academy is its only campus.
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.