Enrollment
2,554
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · La Mesa, CA
Helix High
Federal NCES profile for Helix High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 060221102023Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 1
📚 AP courses 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 15
📋 Attendance 97
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Helix High earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #1 of 17
- public schools in La Mesa · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.8:1
- large classes for California
- 33.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Helix High has class sizes larger than 78% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Helix High ranks #1 of 17 public schools in La Mesa, CA.
School address
District: Helix High District · California
NCES ID 060221102023 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
103.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Helix High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Helix High
Helix High is a large charter high school in La Mesa, California, enrolling 2,554 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 33.7% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,554 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 230 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #9, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (47%) and White (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 10 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 426 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 1.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Helix High District spends $12,707 per pupil, 23% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among La Mesa's high schools, it stands alongside Grossmont High (2,172 students): Helix High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.8:1 vs 24.4:1).
Helix High District is a single-school charter district, so Helix High operates independently rather than alongside district-mates. At 2,554 students, it is also among the largest single-school districts in California, well beyond the enrollment of a typical standalone 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 Helix High compares
Helix 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 | 24.8:1 | ▲ 15% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.7% | ▼ 39% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,554 | top 1% | - | - |
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.
2,554
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% 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
1.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$12,707
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 426 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 41 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 47.1%
White 24.1%
Two or More 11.0%
African American 10.6%
Asian 6.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 47.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.2, Helix High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Helix High District, which includes Helix High.
$12,707
Per student
-23%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.7%
State 44.8%
Federal 9.5%
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.
Similar high schools in La Mesa
1 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 (~2,554 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Helix High's federal record.
- Compare Helix High against another school. Compare schools
- Helix High District'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 Helix High
How many students attend Helix High?
Helix High has 2,554 students enrolled. It is a high school in La Mesa, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Helix High?
The student-teacher ratio at Helix High 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 Helix High?
33.7% of students at Helix High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Helix High?
The largest demographic group at Helix High is Hispanic or Latino at 47.1% of enrollment, in La Mesa, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Helix High?
Helix High has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Helix High rank among public schools in La Mesa?
By Resource Investment Index, Helix High ranks #1 of 17 public schools in La Mesa, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in La Mesa on the city page.
Is Helix High a good school?
Helix High earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of California schools. It is also one of the largest 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 Helix High District?
None; Helix High District is a single-school charter district, and Helix High is its only campus.
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.