Enrollment
294
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Sun Valley, CA
Isana Cardinal Academy
Federal NCES profile for Isana Cardinal Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060186312942Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Isana Cardinal Academy earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #3 of 8
- elementary schools in Sun Valley · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 26.7:1
- large classes for California
- 75.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Isana Cardinal Academy has class sizes larger than 88% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Isana Cardinal Academy ranks #3 of 8 elementary schools in Sun Valley, CA.
School address
District: Isana Cardinal Academy District · California
NCES ID 060186312942 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Isana Cardinal Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Isana Cardinal Academy
Isana Cardinal Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter elementary school in Sun Valley, California, enrolling 294 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.7:1 is larger than about 88% of California schools and 24% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 75.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 294 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,171 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #305.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 10/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 294 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
12.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 22.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Sun Valley's elementary schools, it stands alongside Roscoe Elementary (481 students): Isana Cardinal Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (26.7:1 vs 18.5:1).
Isana Cardinal Academy District is a single-school charter district, so Isana Cardinal 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 Isana Cardinal Academy compares
Isana Cardinal 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 | 26.7:1 | ▲ 24% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.2% | ▲ 35% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 294 | top 74% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.7:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
294
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% 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
26.7:1
students per teacher
- 24% above state mean
Top 88% in California - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
12.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$16,820
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 294 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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 94.6%
Two or More 2.0%
White 1.4%
Asian 1.4%
African American 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 94.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 10.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 10.4, Isana Cardinal Academy is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Isana Cardinal Academy District, which includes Isana Cardinal Academy.
$16,820
Per student
+2%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.0%
State 54.4%
Federal 22.5%
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 elementary schools in Sun Valley
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Roscoe Elementary
Standard public school
481 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Fernangeles Elementary
Standard public school
459 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Fenton Charter Leadership Academy
Standard public school
313 students 20.9:1 students per teacher
Stonehurst Avenue Elementary
Standard public school
289 students 22.2:1 students per teacher
Fenton Stem Acad: Elem Center for Sci Tech Engr and Math
Standard public school
288 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Vinedale College Preparatory Academy
Standard public school
207 students 17.3:1 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 (~294 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~26.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Isana Cardinal Academy's federal record.
- Compare Isana Cardinal Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Isana Cardinal 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 Isana Cardinal Academy
How many students attend Isana Cardinal Academy?
Isana Cardinal Academy has 294 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Sun Valley, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Isana Cardinal Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Isana Cardinal Academy is 26.7:1, which is 24% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 70% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Isana Cardinal Academy?
75.2% of students at Isana Cardinal Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Isana Cardinal Academy?
The largest demographic group at Isana Cardinal Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 94.6% of enrollment, in Sun Valley, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Isana Cardinal Academy?
Isana Cardinal Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Isana Cardinal Academy rank among elementary schools in Sun Valley?
By Resource Investment Index, Isana Cardinal Academy ranks #3 of 8 elementary schools in Sun Valley, 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 Sun Valley on the city page.
Is Isana Cardinal Academy a good school?
Isana Cardinal Academy earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% 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 Isana Cardinal Academy District?
None; Isana Cardinal Academy District is a single-school charter district, and Isana Cardinal 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.