Enrollment
1,343
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Gardena, CA
Gardena Senior High
Federal NCES profile for Gardena Senior High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 062271003034
👥 S:T ratio 31
📚 AP courses 65
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 62
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gardena Senior High earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of California schools.
- #2 of 4
- high schools in Gardena · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.2:1
- small classes for California
- 87.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Gardena Senior High has class sizes smaller than 83% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gardena Senior High ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Gardena, CA.
School address
District: Los Angeles Unified · California
NCES ID 062271003034 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
78.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
87.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
+58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gardena Senior High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gardena Senior High
Gardena Senior High is a high-poverty, large high school in Gardena, California, enrolling 1,343 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 17.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 87.6% of students qualify for free meals, 58% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,343 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 296 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #23, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (66%) and African American (25%) (diversity index 51/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 13 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 192 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.6% 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 Gardena's high schools, it stands alongside Environmental Charter High - Gardena (454 students): Gardena Senior High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.2:1 vs 34.9:1).
Los Angeles Unified also operates Grover Cleveland Charter High (2,719 students) and North Hollywood Senior High (2,444 students) alongside Gardena Senior High.
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 Gardena Senior High compares
Gardena Senior High on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.2:1 | ▼ 20% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.6% | ▲ 58% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,343 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,343
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
87.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 58% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 17% in California - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
50.6%
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
Counselors7.0 FTE
Per 192 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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 65.5%
African American 24.9%
Asian 4.5%
Two or More 2.9%
White 1.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 65.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.6, Gardena Senior High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 13
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Los Angeles Unified, which includes Gardena Senior High.
$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 Gardena Senior High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grover Cleveland Charter High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Hollywood Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Phineas Banning Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| San Pedro Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Venice Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gardena Senior High'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 Gardena
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 (~1,343 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gardena Senior High's federal record.
- Compare Gardena Senior High 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 Gardena Senior High
How many students attend Gardena Senior High?
Gardena Senior High has 1,343 students enrolled. It is a high school in Gardena, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gardena Senior High?
The student-teacher ratio at Gardena Senior High is 17.2:1, which is 20% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 10% 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 Gardena Senior High?
87.6% of students at Gardena Senior High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gardena Senior High?
The largest demographic group at Gardena Senior High is Hispanic or Latino at 65.5% of enrollment, in Gardena, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gardena Senior High?
Gardena Senior High has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 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 Gardena Senior High rank among high schools in Gardena?
By Resource Investment Index, Gardena Senior High ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Gardena, 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 Gardena on the city page.
Is Gardena Senior High a good school?
Gardena Senior High earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% 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 Gardena Senior High, 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.