Enrollment
246
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · El Centro, CA
Imperial Pathways Charter
Federal NCES profile for Imperial Pathways Charter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 069101014014Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Imperial Pathways Charter earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #6 of 6
- high schools in El Centro · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 35.1:1
- large classes for California
- 90.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Imperial Pathways Charter has class sizes larger than 98% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Imperial Pathways Charter ranks #6 of 6 high schools in El Centro, CA.
School address
District: Imperial County Office of Education · California
NCES ID 069101014014 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
7.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
35.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+63% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
90.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Imperial Pathways Charter compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Imperial Pathways Charter
Imperial Pathways Charter is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter high school in El Centro, California, enrolling 246 students.
Class loads run heavy: 35.1:1 is larger than about 98% of California schools and 63% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 90.8% of students qualify for free meals, 64% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 246 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 506 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #372, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 7/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 246 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Imperial County Office of Education spends $97,749 per pupil, 492% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 20.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among El Centro's high schools, it stands alongside Central Union High (2,006 students): Imperial Pathways Charter is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (35.1:1 vs 20.9:1).
Imperial County Office of Education also operates Imperial County Special Education (481 students) and Valley Academy (205 students) alongside Imperial Pathways 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 Imperial Pathways Charter compares
Imperial Pathways 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 | 35.1:1 | ▲ 63% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 90.8% | ▲ 64% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 246 | top 79% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
35.1:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
246
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
90.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 64% 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
35.1:1
students per teacher
- 63% above state mean
Top 98% in California - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
33.7%
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
$97,749
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 246 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 96.3%
White 2.4%
African American 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 96.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 7.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 7.2, Imperial Pathways Charter is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Imperial County Office of Education, which includes Imperial Pathways Charter.
$97,749
Per student
+492%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+489%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.6%
State 52.0%
Federal 20.4%
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 Imperial Pathways Charter Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial County Special Education | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Valley Academy | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Imperial County Juvenile Hall/Community | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Imperial Pathways Charter's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 481
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 205
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 11
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
Similar high schools in El Centro
5 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Central Union High
Standard public school
2,006 students 20.9:1 students per teacher
Southwest High
Standard public school
1,846 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
Desert Oasis High (Continuation)
Alternative education program
138 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Mt. Signal Virtual Academy
Alternative education program
60 students 20:1 students per teacher
Phoenix Rising High
Alternative education program
20 students 10:1 students per teacher
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 (~246 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Imperial Pathways Charter's federal record.
- Compare Imperial Pathways Charter against another school. Compare schools
- Imperial County Office of Education'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 Imperial Pathways Charter
How many students attend Imperial Pathways Charter?
Imperial Pathways Charter has 246 students enrolled. It is a high school in El Centro, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Imperial Pathways Charter?
The student-teacher ratio at Imperial Pathways Charter is 35.1:1, which is 63% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 124% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Imperial Pathways Charter?
90.8% of students at Imperial Pathways Charter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Imperial Pathways Charter?
The largest demographic group at Imperial Pathways Charter is Hispanic or Latino at 96.3% of enrollment, in El Centro, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Imperial Pathways Charter?
Imperial Pathways Charter has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Imperial Pathways Charter rank among high schools in El Centro?
By Resource Investment Index, Imperial Pathways Charter ranks #6 of 6 high schools in El Centro, 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 El Centro on the city page.
Is Imperial Pathways Charter a good school?
Imperial Pathways Charter earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Imperial County Office of Education?
Besides Imperial Pathways Charter, Imperial County Office of Education also operates Imperial County Special Education (481 students), Valley Academy (205 students), and Imperial County Juvenile Hall/Community (11 students). See the Imperial County Office of Education 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.