Enrollment
305
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Oakland, CA
Downtown Charter Academy
Federal NCES profile for Downtown Charter Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 060149313752Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 89
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Downtown Charter Academy earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of California schools.
- #2 of 15
- middle schools in Oakland · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 27.7:1
- large classes for California
- 69.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Downtown Charter Academy has class sizes larger than 92% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Downtown Charter Academy ranks #2 of 15 middle schools in Oakland, CA.
School address
District: Downtown Charter Academy District · California
NCES ID 060149313752 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
+26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Downtown Charter Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Downtown Charter Academy
Downtown Charter Academy is a higher-need, mid-sized charter middle school in Oakland, California, enrolling 305 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.7:1 is larger than about 92% of California schools and 29% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 69.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 305 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 1,236 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #170.
Its student body is led by Asian (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 40/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Oakland's middle schools, it stands alongside Edna Brewer Middle (785 students): Downtown Charter Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (27.7:1 vs 19.1:1).
Downtown Charter Academy District is a single-school charter district, so Downtown Charter 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 Downtown Charter Academy compares
Downtown Charter 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 | 27.7:1 | ▲ 29% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.9% | ▲ 26% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 305 | top 73% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.7:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
305
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
69.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
27.7:1
students per teacher
- 29% above state mean
Top 92% in California - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
4.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$16,956
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
Asian 76.1%
Hispanic or Latino 13.1%
African American 7.9%
Two or More 2.0%
White 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Asian at 76.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.7, Downtown Charter Academy is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Downtown Charter Academy District, which includes Downtown Charter Academy.
$16,956
Per student
+3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.6%
State 64.9%
Federal 14.5%
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 middle schools in Oakland
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Edna Brewer Middle
Standard public school
785 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Elmhurst United Middle
Standard public school
729 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Montera Middle
Standard public school
695 students 17:1 students per teacher
Roosevelt Middle
Standard public school
512 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Claremont Middle
Standard public school
487 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Frick United Academy of Language Middle
Standard public school
392 students 17:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~305 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Downtown Charter Academy's federal record.
- Compare Downtown Charter Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Downtown Charter 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 Downtown Charter Academy
How many students attend Downtown Charter Academy?
Downtown Charter Academy has 305 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Oakland, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Downtown Charter Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Downtown Charter Academy is 27.7:1, which is 29% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 76% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Downtown Charter Academy?
69.9% of students at Downtown Charter Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Downtown Charter Academy?
The largest demographic group at Downtown Charter Academy is Asian at 76.1% of enrollment, in Oakland, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Downtown Charter Academy?
Downtown Charter Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Downtown Charter Academy rank among middle schools in Oakland?
By Resource Investment Index, Downtown Charter Academy ranks #2 of 15 middle schools in Oakland, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Oakland on the city page.
Is Downtown Charter Academy a good school?
Downtown Charter Academy earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% 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 Downtown Charter Academy District?
None; Downtown Charter Academy District is a single-school charter district, and Downtown Charter 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.