Enrollment
34
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Los Angeles, CA
Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity)
Federal NCES profile for Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity), including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 81/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 062271003070
👥 S:T ratio 83
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 89
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity) earns 81/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of California schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in California.
- #1 of 41
- schools in Los Angeles · Resource Index
- 81
- Resource Index · Higher
- 4.3:1
- small classes for California
- 85.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity) has class sizes smaller than 99% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity) ranks #1 of 41 schools in Los Angeles, CA.
School address
District: Los Angeles Unified · California
NCES ID 062271003070 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
4.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-80% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
85.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity) compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity)
Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity) is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Los Angeles, California, enrolling 34 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 4.3:1, Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity) is leaner than roughly 99% of California schools and 80% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 85.2% of students qualify for free meals, 54% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 95% of California schools, with 34 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 100% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 112 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #4, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (91% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 56 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
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 Los Angeles's public schools, it stands alongside Eagle Rock High (2,031 students): Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity) is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (4.3:1 vs 19.5:1).
Los Angeles Unified also operates Grover Cleveland Charter High (2,719 students) and North Hollywood Senior High (2,444 students) alongside Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity).
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 Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity) compares
Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity) on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 4.3:1 | ▼ 80% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 85.2% | ▲ 54% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 34 | top 95% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
4.3:1
Leaner classes than 99% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
34
Bigger than 4% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
85.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 54% 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
4.3:1
students per teacher
- 80% below state mean
Top 1% in California - lower ratio than 99% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
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
Counselors0.6 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 91.2%
White 2.9%
African American 2.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 91.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.6, Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity) is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Los Angeles Unified, which includes Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity).
$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 Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity) 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 Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity)'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 other schools in Los Angeles
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Eagle Rock High
Standard public school
2,031 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
Foshay Learning Center
Standard public school
1,530 students 18:1 students per teacher
Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies
Alternative education program
1,357 students 21.2:1 students per teacher
Benjamin Franklin Senior High
Standard public school
1,284 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
City of Angels
Alternative education program
1,058 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Alliance Gertz-Ressler Richard Merkin 6-12 Complex
Standard public school
1,031 students 23.4:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~34 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity)'s federal record.
- Compare Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity) 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 Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity)
How many students attend Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity)?
Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity) has 34 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Los Angeles, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity)?
The student-teacher ratio at Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity) is 4.3:1, which is 80% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 73% 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 Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity)?
85.2% of students at Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity) are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity)?
The largest demographic group at Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity) is Hispanic or Latino at 91.2% of enrollment, in Los Angeles, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity)?
Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity) has a Resource Investment Index of 81/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity) rank among schools in Los Angeles?
By Resource Investment Index, Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity) ranks #1 of 41 schools in Los Angeles, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Los Angeles on the city page.
Is Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity) a good school?
Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity) earns 81/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of California schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in California. 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 Harold Mcalister High (Opportunity), 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.