Enrollment
166
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · San Pedro, CA
Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center
Federal NCES profile for Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 062271007766
👥 S:T ratio 58
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% of California schools.
- #3 of 4
- high schools in San Pedro · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.4:1
- small classes for California
- 45.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center has class sizes smaller than 95% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center ranks #3 of 4 high schools in San Pedro, CA.
School address
District: Los Angeles Unified · California
NCES ID 062271007766 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-52% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center
Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center is a small high school in San Pedro, California, enrolling 166 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.4:1, Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center is leaner than roughly 95% of California schools and 52% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 45.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 166 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 349 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #69.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (60%) and African American (23%) (diversity index 58/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Los Angeles Unified spends $21,940 per pupil, 33% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among San Pedro's high schools, it stands alongside San Pedro Senior High (2,398 students): Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.4:1 vs 20.3:1).
Los Angeles Unified also operates Grover Cleveland Charter High (2,719 students) and North Hollywood Senior High (2,444 students) alongside Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center.
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 Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center compares
Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.4:1 | ▼ 52% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.0% | ▼ 19% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 166 | top 85% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.4:1
Leaner classes than 87% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
166
Bigger than 16% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10.4:1
students per teacher
- 52% below state mean
Top 5% in California - lower ratio than 95% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
41.0%
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
$21,940
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
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
Hispanic or Latino 60.2%
African American 22.9%
Asian 8.4%
White 4.8%
Two or More 3.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 60.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.5, Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Los Angeles Unified, which includes Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center.
$21,940
Per student
+33%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.3%
State 54.5%
Federal 19.2%
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 Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grover Cleveland Charter High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Hollywood Senior High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Phineas Banning Senior High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| San Pedro Senior High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Venice Senior High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,719
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,444
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,398
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,293
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar high schools in San Pedro
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~166 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center's federal record.
- Compare Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center against another school. Compare schools
- Los Angeles 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 Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center
How many students attend Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center?
Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center has 166 students enrolled. It is a high school in San Pedro, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center is 10.4:1, which is 52% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 34% 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 Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center?
45.0% of students at Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center?
The largest demographic group at Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center is Hispanic or Latino at 60.2% of enrollment, in San Pedro, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center?
Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center rank among high schools in San Pedro?
By Resource Investment Index, Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center ranks #3 of 4 high schools in San Pedro, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in San Pedro on the city page.
Is Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center a good school?
Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% 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 Los Angeles Unified?
Besides Ernest P. Willenberg Special Education Center, Los Angeles Unified also operates Grover Cleveland Charter High (2,719 students), North Hollywood Senior High (2,444 students), and Phineas Banning Senior High (2,422 students). See the Los Angeles 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.