Elementary school (grades K-5) · Chula Vista, CA

Howard Gardner Community Charter

Federal NCES profile for Howard Gardner Community Charter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.

2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060152012866Charter school
0/100100/10031/100
👥 S:T ratio
29
🌟 Gifted program
30
🎓 Counselors
64
📋 Attendance
0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Howard Gardner Community Charter earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 80% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.

#26 of 42
elementary schools in Chula Vista · Resource Index
31
Resource Index · Lower
17.8:1
small classes for California
78.7%
free-lunch eligible

Howard Gardner Community Charter has class sizes smaller than 80% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Howard Gardner Community Charter ranks #26 of 42 elementary schools in Chula Vista, CA.

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-59 students YoY

Howard Gardner Community Charter shrank from 239 students in 2022-23 to 180 in 2023-24 (-24.7%).

Teacher FTE lost 10.0 → 9.5 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Shrinking CCD campus

-59 students YoY 060152012866 · Chula Vista, CA Elementary · SMALL · CHARTER

178 enr · 17.8:1 · 78.7% lunch · RII 31

Nearest enrollment peer: J D Colt Elem School (178 students)

Howard Gardner Community Charter shrank from 239 students in 2022-23 to 180 in 2023-24 (-24.7%). Teacher FTE lost 10.0 → 9.5 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · California schools → · Find another →

How Howard Gardner Community Charter compares

Howard Gardner Community Charter is a shrinking campus on CCD: ratios and free-lunch share vs California and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs California California avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 17.8:1 ▼ 17% 21.5:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 78.7% ▲ 42% 55.5% 51.7%
Enrollment 178 top 84% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

17.8:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
178
Bigger than 17% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
78.7%
free-lunch eligible - 42% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.8:1
students per teacher - 17% below state mean
Top 20% in California - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
47.8%
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
$16,678
per pupil, district-wide - below California avg of $18,665
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 178 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.

Student demographics

Hispanic or Latino 97.2%
African American 2.2%
White 0.6%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 97.2% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 5.5/100

Simpson diversity index - at 5.5, Howard Gardner Community Charter is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.

Programs

District finance for Howard Gardner Community Charter District reports $16,678 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

Similar elementary schools in Chula Vista

6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.

Nationwide elementary schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Frequently asked questions about Howard Gardner Community Charter

How many students attend Howard Gardner Community Charter?

Howard Gardner Community Charter has 178 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Chula Vista, CA. CCD year-over-year: 239 (2022-23) → 180 (2023-24), down 59.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Howard Gardner Community Charter?

The student-teacher ratio at Howard Gardner Community Charter is 17.8:1, which is 17% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 13% 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 Howard Gardner Community Charter?

78.7% of students at Howard Gardner Community Charter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Howard Gardner Community Charter?

The largest demographic group at Howard Gardner Community Charter is Hispanic or Latino at 97.2% of enrollment, in Chula Vista, CA.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Howard Gardner Community Charter?

Howard Gardner Community Charter has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Howard Gardner Community Charter rank among elementary schools in Chula Vista?

By Resource Investment Index, Howard Gardner Community Charter ranks #26 of 42 elementary schools in Chula Vista, 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 Chula Vista on the city page.

What other schools are in Howard Gardner Community Charter District?

None; Howard Gardner Community Charter District is a single-school charter district, and Howard Gardner Community Charter is its only campus.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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