Enrollment
546
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Grass Valley, CA
Grass Valley Charter
Federal NCES profile for Grass Valley Charter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 9/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061578002267Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 1
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 5
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Grass Valley Charter earns 9/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of California schools.
- #12 of 12
- elementary schools in Grass Valley · Resource Index
- 9
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.8:1
- large classes for California
- 32.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Grass Valley Charter has class sizes larger than 78% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Grass Valley Charter ranks #12 of 12 elementary schools in Grass Valley, CA.
School address
District: Grass Valley Elementary · California
NCES ID 061578002267 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
-42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Grass Valley Charter compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Grass Valley Charter
Grass Valley Charter is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Grass Valley, California, enrolling 546 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.8:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 546 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,397 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,383, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 31/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 546 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Grass Valley's elementary schools, it stands alongside Union Hill Elementary (542 students): Grass Valley Charter is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.8:1 vs 20.8:1).
Grass Valley Elementary also operates Lyman Gilmore Middle (464 students) and Margaret G. Scotten Elementary (357 students) alongside Grass Valley Charter.
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 Grass Valley Charter compares
Grass Valley Charter on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 24.8:1 | ▲ 15% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.1% | ▼ 42% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 546 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.8:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
546
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
24.8:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 78% in California - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
37.9%
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
$14,332
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 546 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 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
White 82.6%
Hispanic or Latino 9.2%
Two or More 4.6%
Asian 1.6%
African American 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 82.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.7, Grass Valley Charter is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Grass Valley Elementary, which includes Grass Valley Charter.
$14,332
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.8%
State 27.7%
Federal 13.5%
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.
How Grass Valley Charter Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyman Gilmore Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Margaret G. Scotten Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bell Hill Academy | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Grass Valley Charter's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 464
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 357
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 246
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 11/100
Similar elementary schools in Grass Valley
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Union Hill Elementary
Standard public school
542 students 20.8:1 students per teacher
Cottage Hill Elementary
Standard public school
485 students 24.3:1 students per teacher
Lyman Gilmore Middle
Standard public school
464 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Margaret G. Scotten Elementary
Standard public school
357 students 19.8:1 students per teacher
Alta Sierra Elementary
Standard public school
338 students 22.5:1 students per teacher
Yuba River Charter
Standard public school
323 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~546 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Grass Valley Charter's federal record.
- Compare Grass Valley Charter against another school. Compare schools
- Grass Valley Elementary'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 Grass Valley Charter
How many students attend Grass Valley Charter?
Grass Valley Charter has 546 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Grass Valley, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Grass Valley Charter?
The student-teacher ratio at Grass Valley Charter is 24.8:1, which is 15% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 58% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Grass Valley Charter?
32.1% of students at Grass Valley Charter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Grass Valley Charter?
The largest demographic group at Grass Valley Charter is White at 82.6% of enrollment, in Grass Valley, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Grass Valley Charter?
Grass Valley Charter has a Resource Investment Index of 9/100 (lower 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 Grass Valley Charter rank among elementary schools in Grass Valley?
By Resource Investment Index, Grass Valley Charter ranks #12 of 12 elementary schools in Grass Valley, 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 Grass Valley on the city page.
Is Grass Valley Charter a good school?
Grass Valley Charter earns 9/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% 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 Grass Valley Elementary?
Besides Grass Valley Charter, Grass Valley Elementary also operates Lyman Gilmore Middle (464 students), Margaret G. Scotten Elementary (357 students), and Bell Hill Academy (246 students). See the Grass Valley Elementary 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.