Enrollment
436
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Diego, CA
Innovations Academy
Federal NCES profile for Innovations Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060162712261Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 85
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Innovations Academy earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #76 of 179
- elementary schools in San Diego · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 54.5:1
- large classes for California
- 19.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Innovations Academy has class sizes larger than 99% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Innovations Academy ranks #76 of 179 elementary schools in San Diego, CA.
School address
District: Innovations Academy District · California
NCES ID 060162712261 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
54.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+153% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Innovations Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Innovations Academy
Innovations Academy is a lower-poverty, mid-sized charter elementary school in San Diego, California, enrolling 436 students.
Class loads run heavy: 54.5:1 is larger than about 99% of California schools and 153% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 19.7% free-meal eligibility runs 65% below the California average.
With 436 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,099 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #658.
Its student body is led by White (45%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 436 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.2% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Innovations Academy District spends $9,960 per pupil, 40% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among San Diego's elementary schools, it stands alongside Albert Einstein Academies (1,448 students): Innovations Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (54.5:1 vs 24.1:1).
Innovations Academy District is a single-school charter district, so Innovations Academy operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Innovations Academy compares
Innovations Academy on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 54.5:1 | ▲ 153% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.7% | ▼ 65% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 436 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
54.5:1
Leaner classes than 0% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
436
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
54.5:1
students per teacher
- 153% above state mean
Top 99% in California - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
6.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$9,960
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 436 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
White 45.2%
Hispanic or Latino 28.7%
Two or More 16.1%
Asian 6.7%
African American 2.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 45.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.2, Innovations Academy is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Innovations Academy District, which includes Innovations Academy.
$9,960
Per student
-40%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 71.8%
State 23.4%
Federal 4.8%
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 elementary schools in San Diego
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Albert Einstein Academies
Standard public school
1,448 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Design 39 Campus
Standard public school
1,216 students 27:1 students per teacher
Nestor Language Academy Charter
Standard public school
1,079 students 25.7:1 students per teacher
Ocean View Hills
Standard public school
1,020 students 23.7:1 students per teacher
Language Academy
Standard public school
1,015 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Del Sur Elementary
Standard public school
891 students 24.1:1 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 (~436 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Innovations Academy's federal record.
- Compare Innovations Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Innovations Academy 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 Innovations Academy
How many students attend Innovations Academy?
Innovations Academy has 436 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Diego, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Innovations Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Innovations Academy is 54.5:1, which is 153% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 247% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Innovations Academy?
19.7% of students at Innovations Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Innovations Academy?
The largest demographic group at Innovations Academy is White at 45.2% of enrollment, in San Diego, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Innovations Academy?
Innovations Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical 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 Innovations Academy rank among elementary schools in San Diego?
By Resource Investment Index, Innovations Academy ranks #76 of 179 elementary schools in San Diego, 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 San Diego on the city page.
Is Innovations Academy a good school?
Innovations Academy earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of California schools. It is also more 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 Innovations Academy District?
None; Innovations Academy District is a single-school charter district, and Innovations Academy 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.