Enrollment
394
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · San Bernardino, CA
Community School/Independent Alternative Education
Federal NCES profile for Community School/Independent Alternative Education, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 069102911088
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Community School/Independent Alternative Education earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 89% of California schools.
- #6 of 11
- schools in San Bernardino · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.2:1
- small classes for California
- 80.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Community School/Independent Alternative Education has class sizes smaller than 89% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Community School/Independent Alternative Education ranks #6 of 11 schools in San Bernardino, CA.
School address
District: San Bernardino County Office of Education · California
NCES ID 069102911088 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Community School/Independent Alternative Education compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Community School/Independent Alternative Education
Community School/Independent Alternative Education is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in San Bernardino, California, enrolling 394 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 15.2:1, Community School/Independent Alternative Education is leaner than roughly 89% of California schools and 29% 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 80.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 394 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,778 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #641.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (72%) and African American (15%) (diversity index 45/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 394 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Its district draws 15.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among San Bernardino's public schools, it stands alongside San Bernardino County Special Education (1,860 students): Community School/Independent Alternative Education is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.2:1 vs 12.9:1).
San Bernardino County Office of Education also operates San Bernardino County Special Education (1,860 students) and San Bernardino Co Juve Detention and Assessment Center (113 students) alongside Community School/Independent Alternative Education.
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 Community School/Independent Alternative Education compares
Community School/Independent Alternative Education on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.2:1 | ▼ 29% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.8% | ▲ 46% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 394 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
394
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
80.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 46% 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
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 29% below state mean
Top 11% in California - lower ratio than 89% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 394 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 31 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.9 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 72.3%
African American 14.5%
White 7.6%
Two or More 3.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 72.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.9, Community School/Independent Alternative Education is about as mixed as the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
How Community School/Independent Alternative Education Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Bernardino County Special Education | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Bernardino Co Juve Detention and Assessment Center | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Community School/Independent Alternative Education's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,860
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 113
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar other schools in San Bernardino
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
San Bernardino County Special Education
Special-education school
1,860 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Norton Science and Language Academy
Standard public school
1,249 students 24:1 students per teacher
Options for Youth-San Bernardino
Standard public school
1,168 students 41.7:1 students per teacher
Public Safety Academy
Standard public school
396 students 24.8:1 students per teacher
Virtual Academy
Alternative education program
346 students 6.7:1 students per teacher
Asa Charter
Standard public school
334 students 23.9:1 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 (~394 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Community School/Independent Alternative Education's federal record.
- Compare Community School/Independent Alternative Education against another school. Compare schools
- San Bernardino County Office of Education'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 Community School/Independent Alternative Education
How many students attend Community School/Independent Alternative Education?
Community School/Independent Alternative Education has 394 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in San Bernardino, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Community School/Independent Alternative Education?
The student-teacher ratio at Community School/Independent Alternative Education is 15.2:1, which is 29% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 3% 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 Community School/Independent Alternative Education?
80.8% of students at Community School/Independent Alternative Education are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Community School/Independent Alternative Education?
The largest demographic group at Community School/Independent Alternative Education is Hispanic or Latino at 72.3% of enrollment, in San Bernardino, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Community School/Independent Alternative Education?
Community School/Independent Alternative Education has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Community School/Independent Alternative Education rank among schools in San Bernardino?
By Resource Investment Index, Community School/Independent Alternative Education ranks #6 of 11 schools in San Bernardino, 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 Bernardino on the city page.
Is Community School/Independent Alternative Education a good school?
Community School/Independent Alternative Education earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 89% 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 San Bernardino County Office of Education?
Besides Community School/Independent Alternative Education, San Bernardino County Office of Education also operates San Bernardino County Special Education (1,860 students) and San Bernardino Co Juve Detention and Assessment Center (113 students). See the San Bernardino County Office of Education district page for the complete list.
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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, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.