Enrollment
696
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Oxnard, CA
Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences
Federal NCES profile for Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062922007922
👥 S:T ratio 27
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #6 of 8
- middle schools in Oxnard · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.3:1
- small classes for California
- 77.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences has class sizes smaller than 77% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences ranks #6 of 8 middle schools in Oxnard, CA.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
+39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences
Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Oxnard, California, enrolling 696 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 77.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 696 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,913 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #314.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 10/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 348 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Oxnard's middle schools, it stands alongside Charles Blackstock Junior High (1,239 students): Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.3:1 vs 22.1:1).
Oxnard also operates R.J. Frank Academy of Marine Science & Engineering (1,027 students) and Juan Lagunas Soria Elementary (895 students) alongside Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences.
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 Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences compares
Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.3:1 | ▼ 15% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.4% | ▲ 39% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 696 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.3:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
696
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% 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
18.3:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 23% in California - lower ratio than 77% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
38.2%
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
$16,828
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 348 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 98 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.1 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 94.8%
White 3.7%
Two or More 0.7%
Asian 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 94.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 10.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 10.0, Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Oxnard, which includes Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences.
$16,828
Per student
+2%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.9%
State 64.8%
Federal 15.2%
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 Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| R.J. Frank Academy of Marine Science & Engineering | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Juan Lagunas Soria Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Driffill Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kamala Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Curren Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,027
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 895
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 891
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 842
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 817
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar middle schools in Oxnard
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Charles Blackstock Junior High
Standard public school
1,239 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
R.J. Frank Academy of Marine Science & Engineering
Standard public school
1,027 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
E. O. Green Junior High
Standard public school
949 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Ocean View Junior High
Standard public school
700 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
Rio Vista Middle
Standard public school
637 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Fremont Academy of Environmental Science & Innovative Design
Standard public school
617 students 14.7:1 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 (~696 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences's federal record.
- Compare Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences against another school. Compare schools
- Oxnard'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 Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences
How many students attend Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences?
Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences has 696 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Oxnard, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences?
The student-teacher ratio at Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences is 18.3:1, which is 15% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 17% higher 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 Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences?
77.4% of students at Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences?
The largest demographic group at Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences is Hispanic or Latino at 94.8% of enrollment, in Oxnard, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences?
Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical 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 Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences rank among middle schools in Oxnard?
By Resource Investment Index, Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences ranks #6 of 8 middle schools in Oxnard, 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 Oxnard on the city page.
Is Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences a good school?
Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% of California schools. It is also less 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 Oxnard?
Besides Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences, Oxnard also operates R.J. Frank Academy of Marine Science & Engineering (1,027 students), Juan Lagunas Soria Elementary (895 students), and Driffill Elementary (891 students). See the Oxnard 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.