Enrollment
2,160
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · El Cajon, CA
Literacy First Charter
Federal NCES profile for Literacy First Charter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 060209810374Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 6
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 75
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Literacy First Charter earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #1 of 4
- schools in El Cajon · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.5:1
- students per teacher
- 50.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Literacy First Charter has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Literacy First Charter ranks #1 of 4 schools in El Cajon, CA.
School address
District: Literacy First Charter District · California
NCES ID 060209810374 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
92.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Literacy First Charter compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Literacy First Charter
Literacy First Charter is a higher-need, large charter combined-grade school in El Cajon, California, enrolling 2,160 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.5:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 50.5% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 98% of state schools at 2,160 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 263 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #163.
Its student body is led by Asian (42%) and White (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1080 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
10.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Literacy First Charter District spends $11,024 per pupil, 33% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among El Cajon's public schools, it stands alongside Bostonia Global (1,266 students): Literacy First Charter is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (23.5:1 vs 26.4:1).
Literacy First Charter District is a single-school charter district, so Literacy First Charter operates independently rather than alongside district-mates. At 2,160 students, it is also among the largest single-school districts in California, well beyond the enrollment of a typical standalone 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 Literacy First Charter compares
Literacy First 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 | 23.5:1 | ▲ 9% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.5% | ▼ 9% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,160 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.5:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,160
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% 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
23.5:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 67% in California - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
10.1%
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
$11,024
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 1080 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 52 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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
Asian 42.1%
White 31.7%
Hispanic or Latino 20.1%
Two or More 4.2%
African American 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Asian at 42.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.0, Literacy First Charter is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 13
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Literacy First Charter District, which includes Literacy First Charter.
$11,024
Per student
-33%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.6%
State 70.0%
Federal 5.4%
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.
Similar other schools in El Cajon
3 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 (~2,160 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Literacy First Charter's federal record.
- Compare Literacy First Charter against another school. Compare schools
- Literacy First 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 Literacy First Charter
How many students attend Literacy First Charter?
Literacy First Charter has 2,160 students enrolled. It is a public school in El Cajon, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Literacy First Charter?
The student-teacher ratio at Literacy First Charter is 23.5:1, which is 9% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 50% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Literacy First Charter?
50.5% of students at Literacy First Charter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Literacy First Charter?
The largest demographic group at Literacy First Charter is Asian at 42.1% of enrollment, in El Cajon, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Literacy First Charter?
Literacy First Charter has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Literacy First Charter rank among schools in El Cajon?
By Resource Investment Index, Literacy First Charter ranks #1 of 4 schools in El Cajon, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in El Cajon on the city page.
Is Literacy First Charter a good school?
Literacy First Charter earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California. 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 Literacy First Charter District?
None; Literacy First Charter District is a single-school charter district, and Literacy First 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.