Enrollment
722
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Oakland, CA
Melrose Leadership Academy
Federal NCES profile for Melrose Leadership Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062805008679
👥 S:T ratio 12
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 50
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Melrose Leadership Academy earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #9 of 67
- elementary schools in Oakland · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.9:1
- students per teacher
- 38.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Melrose Leadership Academy has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Melrose Leadership Academy ranks #9 of 67 elementary schools in Oakland, CA.
School address
District: Oakland Unified · California
NCES ID 062805008679 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Melrose Leadership Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Melrose Leadership Academy
Melrose Leadership Academy is a mid-sized elementary school in Oakland, California, enrolling 722 students.
At 21.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 38.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 722 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,261 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #541.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (72%) and White (15%) (diversity index 46/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Oakland Unified spends $20,552 per pupil, 24% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Oakland's elementary schools, it stands alongside Yu Ming Charter (959 students): Melrose Leadership Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.9:1 vs 24:1).
Oakland Unified also operates Oakland Technical High (1,812 students) and Oakland High (1,579 students) alongside Melrose Leadership Academy.
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 Melrose Leadership Academy compares
Melrose Leadership 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 | 21.9:1 | ▲ 2% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.4% | ▼ 31% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 722 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.9:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
722
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
21.9:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 52% in California - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
20.2%
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
$20,552
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 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 71.5%
White 15.1%
Two or More 8.8%
African American 3.2%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 71.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.7, Melrose Leadership Academy is about as mixed as the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Oakland Unified, which includes Melrose Leadership Academy.
$20,552
Per student
+24%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.8%
State 42.5%
Federal 14.7%
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.
How Melrose Leadership Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland Technical High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oakland High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Skyline High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fremont High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Coliseum College Prep Academy | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Melrose Leadership Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,812
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,579
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,250
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,166
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 861
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar elementary schools in Oakland
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Yu Ming Charter
Standard public school
959 students 24:1 students per teacher
Lockwood Steam Academy Elementary
Standard public school
678 students 27.1:1 students per teacher
Lincoln Elementary
Standard public school
664 students 25.5:1 students per teacher
American Indian Public Charter School Ii
Standard public school
617 students 36.3:1 students per teacher
Greenleaf
Standard public school
613 students 21.9:1 students per teacher
Chabot Elementary
Standard public school
576 students 24:1 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 (~722 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Melrose Leadership Academy's federal record.
- Compare Melrose Leadership Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Oakland Unified'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 Melrose Leadership Academy
How many students attend Melrose Leadership Academy?
Melrose Leadership Academy has 722 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Oakland, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Melrose Leadership Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Melrose Leadership Academy is 21.9:1, which is 2% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 39% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Melrose Leadership Academy?
38.4% of students at Melrose Leadership Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Melrose Leadership Academy?
The largest demographic group at Melrose Leadership Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 71.5% of enrollment, in Oakland, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Melrose Leadership Academy?
Melrose Leadership Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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 Melrose Leadership Academy rank among elementary schools in Oakland?
By Resource Investment Index, Melrose Leadership Academy ranks #9 of 67 elementary schools in Oakland, 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 Oakland on the city page.
Is Melrose Leadership Academy a good school?
Melrose Leadership Academy earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Oakland Unified?
Besides Melrose Leadership Academy, Oakland Unified also operates Oakland Technical High (1,812 students), Oakland High (1,579 students), and Skyline High (1,250 students). See the Oakland Unified district page for the complete list.
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.