Enrollment
483
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA
Manzanita Public Charter
Federal NCES profile for Manzanita Public Charter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060171912214Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Manzanita Public Charter earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of California schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Vandenberg Air Force Base · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 26.8:1
- large classes for California
- 42.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Manzanita Public Charter has class sizes larger than 89% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Manzanita Public Charter ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA.
School address
District: Manzanita Public Charter District · California
NCES ID 060171912214 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Manzanita Public Charter compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Manzanita Public Charter
Manzanita Public Charter is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, enrolling 483 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.8:1 is larger than about 89% of California schools and 25% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 42.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 483 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 1,362 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #586.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (53%) and White (34%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 966 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Manzanita Public Charter District spends $12,345 per pupil, 25% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Vandenberg Air Force Base's elementary schools, it stands alongside Crestview Elementary (373 students): Manzanita Public Charter is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (26.8:1 vs 20.7:1).
Manzanita Public Charter District is a single-school charter district, so Manzanita Public 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 Manzanita Public Charter compares
Manzanita Public 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 | 26.8:1 | ▲ 25% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.6% | ▼ 23% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 483 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.8:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
483
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.6%
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
26.8:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 89% in California - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
20.7%
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
$12,345
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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 53.4%
White 34.4%
Two or More 9.5%
African American 1.4%
Asian 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 53.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.7, Manzanita Public Charter is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Manzanita Public Charter District, which includes Manzanita Public Charter.
$12,345
Per student
-25%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.7%
State 53.6%
Federal 11.7%
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 Vandenberg Air Force Base
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~483 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~26.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Manzanita Public Charter's federal record.
- Compare Manzanita Public Charter against another school. Compare schools
- Manzanita Public 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 Manzanita Public Charter
How many students attend Manzanita Public Charter?
Manzanita Public Charter has 483 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Manzanita Public Charter?
The student-teacher ratio at Manzanita Public Charter is 26.8:1, which is 25% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 71% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Manzanita Public Charter?
42.6% of students at Manzanita Public Charter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Manzanita Public Charter?
The largest demographic group at Manzanita Public Charter is Hispanic or Latino at 53.4% of enrollment, in Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Manzanita Public Charter?
Manzanita Public Charter has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower 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 Manzanita Public Charter rank among public schools in Vandenberg Air Force Base?
By Resource Investment Index, Manzanita Public Charter ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Vandenberg Air Force Base, 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 Vandenberg Air Force Base on the city page.
Is Manzanita Public Charter a good school?
Manzanita Public Charter earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% 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 Manzanita Public Charter District?
None; Manzanita Public Charter District is a single-school charter district, and Manzanita Public Charter is its only campus.
Related tools
Compare schools
Side-by-side comparison tool
Schools in California
All public schools in California
Manzanita Public Charter District
All schools in this district
Schools in Vandenberg Air Force Base
All schools in this city
School districts
Ranked by enrollment & spending
Rankings
Best schools by state & type
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.