Enrollment
694
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lancaster, CA
Mission Academy
Federal NCES profile for Mission Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 10/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 060174614230Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mission Academy earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of California schools.
- #42 of 45
- public schools in Lancaster · Resource Index
- 10
- Resource Index · Lower
- 43.4:1
- large classes for California
- 74.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Mission Academy has class sizes larger than 99% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mission Academy ranks #42 of 45 public schools in Lancaster, CA.
School address
District: Mission Academy District · California
NCES ID 060174614230 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
43.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+102% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mission Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mission Academy
Mission Academy is a higher-need, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Lancaster, California, enrolling 694 students.
Class loads run heavy: 43.4:1 is larger than about 99% of California schools and 102% 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 74.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 694 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,924 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,756, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (62%) and White (21%) (diversity index 57/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 60.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Mission Academy District spends $19,889 per pupil, 20% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Lancaster's public schools, it stands alongside Assurance Learning Academy (3,014 students): Mission Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (43.4:1 vs 29:1).
Mission Academy District is a single-school charter district, so Mission 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 Mission Academy compares
Mission 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 | 43.4:1 | ▲ 102% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.5% | ▲ 34% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 694 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
43.4:1
Leaner classes than 0% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
694
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% 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
43.4:1
students per teacher
- 102% above state mean
Top 99% in California - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
60.5%
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
$19,889
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.1 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
Hispanic or Latino 61.6%
White 20.8%
African American 7.5%
Two or More 7.0%
Asian 2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 61.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.6, Mission Academy is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mission Academy District, which includes Mission Academy.
$19,889
Per student
+20%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 5.3%
State 86.1%
Federal 8.7%
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 other schools in Lancaster
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 (~694 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~43.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mission Academy's federal record.
- Compare Mission Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Mission 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 Mission Academy
How many students attend Mission Academy?
Mission Academy has 694 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lancaster, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mission Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Mission Academy is 43.4:1, which is 102% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 176% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mission Academy?
74.5% of students at Mission Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mission Academy?
The largest demographic group at Mission Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 61.6% of enrollment, in Lancaster, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mission Academy?
Mission Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 10/100 (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 Mission Academy rank among public schools in Lancaster?
By Resource Investment Index, Mission Academy ranks #42 of 45 public schools in Lancaster, 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 Lancaster on the city page.
Is Mission Academy a good school?
Mission Academy earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% 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 Mission Academy District?
None; Mission Academy District is a single-school charter district, and Mission 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.