Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Diego, CA

Darnall Charter

Federal NCES profile for Darnall Charter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.

2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060236401220Charter school
0/100100/10021/100
👥 S:T ratio
12
🌟 Gifted program
30
🎓 Counselors
41
📋 Attendance
0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Darnall Charter earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.

#159 of 179
elementary schools in San Diego · Resource Index
21
Resource Index · Lower
22.1:1
students per teacher
71.9%
free-lunch eligible

Darnall Charter has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Darnall Charter ranks #159 of 179 elementary schools in San Diego, CA.

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-25 students YoY

Darnall Charter shrank from 467 students in 2022-23 to 442 in 2023-24 (-5.4%).

Teacher FTE lost 20.5 → 19.5 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Shrinking CCD campus

-25 students YoY 060236401220 · San Diego, CA Elementary · SMALL · CHARTER

442 enr · 22.1:1 · 71.9% lunch · RII 21

Nearest enrollment peer: Highland Middle School (442 students)

Darnall Charter shrank from 467 students in 2022-23 to 442 in 2023-24 (-5.4%). Teacher FTE lost 20.5 → 19.5 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · California schools → · Find another →

How Darnall Charter compares

Darnall Charter is a shrinking campus on CCD: ratios and free-lunch share vs California and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs California California avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 22.1:1 ▲ 3% 21.5:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 71.9% ▲ 30% 55.5% 51.7%
Enrollment 442 top 54% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

22.1:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
442
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
71.9%
free-lunch eligible - 30% 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
22.1:1
students per teacher - 3% above state mean
Top 54% in California - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
60.0%
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
$19,422
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 295 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

Hispanic or Latino 80.8%
African American 8.6%
Asian 5.7%
Two or More 2.7%
White 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 80.8% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 33.6/100

Simpson diversity index - at 33.6, Darnall Charter is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.

Programs

District finance for Darnall Charter District reports $19,422 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

Similar elementary schools in San Diego

6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.

Nationwide elementary schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Frequently asked questions about Darnall Charter

How many students attend Darnall Charter?

Darnall Charter has 442 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Diego, CA. CCD year-over-year: 467 (2022-23) → 442 (2023-24), down 25.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Darnall Charter?

The student-teacher ratio at Darnall Charter is 22.1:1, which is 3% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 41% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Darnall Charter?

71.9% of students at Darnall Charter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Darnall Charter?

The largest demographic group at Darnall Charter is Hispanic or Latino at 80.8% of enrollment, in San Diego, CA.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Darnall Charter?

Darnall Charter has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (lower 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 Darnall Charter rank among elementary schools in San Diego?

By Resource Investment Index, Darnall Charter ranks #159 of 179 elementary 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 elementary schools in San Diego on the city page.

What other schools are in Darnall Charter District?

None; Darnall Charter District is a single-school charter district, and Darnall Charter is its only campus.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

View saved