Enrollment
716
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · North Highlands, CA
Creative Connections Arts Academy
Federal NCES profile for Creative Connections Arts Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 060133211074Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 13
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 5
📋 Attendance 15
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Creative Connections Arts Academy earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #3 of 12
- public schools in North Highlands · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.7:1
- students per teacher
- 62.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Creative Connections Arts Academy has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Creative Connections Arts Academy ranks #3 of 12 public schools in North Highlands, CA.
School address
District: Twin Rivers Unified · California
NCES ID 060133211074 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Creative Connections Arts Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Creative Connections Arts Academy
Creative Connections Arts Academy is a higher-need, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in North Highlands, California, enrolling 716 students.
At 21.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 62.2% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 716 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,678 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #685.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (48%) and White (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 477 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Twin Rivers Unified also operates Grant Union High (1,987 students) and Rio Linda High (1,594 students) alongside Creative Connections Arts Academy.
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 Creative Connections Arts Academy compares
Creative Connections Arts 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 | 21.7:1 | ▲ 1% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.2% | ▲ 12% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 716 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.7:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
716
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% 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
21.7:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 50% in California - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
34.1%
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
$17,365
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 477 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.4 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 48.4%
White 20.7%
African American 15.5%
Two or More 9.8%
Asian 3.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.0%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 48.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.8, Creative Connections Arts Academy is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 2
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Twin Rivers Unified, which includes Creative Connections Arts Academy.
$17,365
Per student
+5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.3%
State 59.8%
Federal 21.0%
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 Creative Connections Arts Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grant Union High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rio Linda High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Foothill High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Smythe Academy of Arts and Sciences | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Las Palmas Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Creative Connections Arts Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,987
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,594
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,417
- Students per teacher
- 26.2:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 1,091
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 1,001
- Students per teacher
- 25.7:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
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 (~716 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Creative Connections Arts Academy's federal record.
- Compare Creative Connections Arts Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Twin Rivers 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 Creative Connections Arts Academy
How many students attend Creative Connections Arts Academy?
Creative Connections Arts Academy has 716 students enrolled. It is a public school in North Highlands, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Creative Connections Arts Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Creative Connections Arts Academy is 21.7:1, which is 1% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 38% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Creative Connections Arts Academy?
62.2% of students at Creative Connections Arts Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Creative Connections Arts Academy?
The largest demographic group at Creative Connections Arts Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 48.4% of enrollment, in North Highlands, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Creative Connections Arts Academy?
Creative Connections Arts Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 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 Creative Connections Arts Academy rank among public schools in North Highlands?
By Resource Investment Index, Creative Connections Arts Academy ranks #3 of 12 public schools in North Highlands, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in North Highlands on the city page.
Is Creative Connections Arts Academy a good school?
Creative Connections Arts Academy earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more 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 Twin Rivers Unified?
Besides Creative Connections Arts Academy, Twin Rivers Unified also operates Grant Union High (1,987 students), Rio Linda High (1,594 students), and Foothill High (1,417 students). See the Twin Rivers 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.