Enrollment
197
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Arcata, CA
Laurel Tree Charter
Federal NCES profile for Laurel Tree Charter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 060158112960Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 63
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Laurel Tree Charter earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of California schools.
- #1 of 12
- public schools in Arcata · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.1:1
- small classes for California
- 42.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Laurel Tree Charter has class sizes smaller than 91% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Laurel Tree Charter ranks #1 of 12 public schools in Arcata, CA.
School address
District: Laurel Tree Charter District · California
NCES ID 060158112960 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Laurel Tree Charter compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Laurel Tree Charter
Laurel Tree Charter is a mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Arcata, California, enrolling 197 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 14.1:1, Laurel Tree Charter is leaner than roughly 91% of California schools and 34% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 42.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 197 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 406 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #56.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and Two or More (15%) (diversity index 42/100).
14.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 18.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Arcata's public schools, it stands alongside Northcoast Preparatory and Performing Arts Academy (118 students): Laurel Tree Charter is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.1:1 vs 13.1:1).
Laurel Tree Charter District is a single-school charter district, so Laurel Tree Charter 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 Laurel Tree Charter compares
Laurel Tree 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 | 14.1:1 | ▼ 34% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.9% | ▼ 23% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 197 | top 83% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
197
Bigger than 19% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 34% below state mean
Top 9% in California - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
14.7%
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
$13,303
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 74.4%
Two or More 14.9%
Hispanic or Latino 8.2%
African American 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 74.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.7, Laurel Tree Charter is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Laurel Tree Charter District, which includes Laurel Tree Charter.
$13,303
Per student
-19%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.6%
State 48.2%
Federal 18.2%
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 other schools in Arcata
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~197 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Laurel Tree Charter's federal record.
- Compare Laurel Tree Charter against another school. Compare schools
- Laurel Tree Charter 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 Laurel Tree Charter
How many students attend Laurel Tree Charter?
Laurel Tree Charter has 197 students enrolled. It is a public school in Arcata, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Laurel Tree Charter?
The student-teacher ratio at Laurel Tree Charter is 14.1:1, which is 34% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 10% lower 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 Laurel Tree Charter?
42.9% of students at Laurel Tree Charter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Laurel Tree Charter?
The largest demographic group at Laurel Tree Charter is White at 74.4% of enrollment, in Arcata, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Laurel Tree Charter?
Laurel Tree Charter has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Laurel Tree Charter rank among public schools in Arcata?
By Resource Investment Index, Laurel Tree Charter ranks #1 of 12 public schools in Arcata, 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 Arcata on the city page.
Is Laurel Tree Charter a good school?
Laurel Tree Charter earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of 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 Laurel Tree Charter District?
None; Laurel Tree Charter District is a single-school charter district, and Laurel Tree Charter 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.