Enrollment
44
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sutter Creek, CA
North Star Academy
Federal NCES profile for North Star Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 060245006975
👥 S:T ratio 65
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 82
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
North Star Academy earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of California schools.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Sutter Creek · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 8.8:1
- small classes for California
- 52.9%
- free-lunch eligible
North Star Academy has class sizes smaller than 97% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, North Star Academy ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Sutter Creek, CA.
School address
District: Amador County Unified · California
NCES ID 060245006975 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-59% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How North Star Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at North Star Academy
North Star Academy is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Sutter Creek, California, enrolling 44 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.8:1, North Star Academy is leaner than roughly 97% of California schools and 59% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 52.9% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 94% of California schools, with 44 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 97% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 133 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #20.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 88 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
The surrounding Amador County Unified spends $12,622 per pupil, 24% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Sutter Creek's public schools, it stands alongside County Community (10 students): North Star Academy is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (8.8:1 vs 10:1).
Amador County Unified also operates Amador High (615 students) and Argonaut High (593 students) alongside North Star 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 North Star Academy compares
North Star 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 | 8.8:1 | ▼ 59% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.9% | ▼ 5% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 44 | top 94% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.8:1
Leaner classes than 93% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
44
Bigger than 5% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% 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
8.8:1
students per teacher
- 59% below state mean
Top 3% in California - lower ratio than 97% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$12,622
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 + 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 70.5%
Hispanic or Latino 27.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.3%
Largest group: White at 70.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.8, North Star Academy is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Amador County Unified, which includes North Star Academy.
$12,622
Per student
-24%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.9%
State 26.6%
Federal 17.5%
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 North Star Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amador High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Argonaut High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ione Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jackson Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sutter Creek Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to North Star Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 615
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 593
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 564
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 479
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 387
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
Similar other schools in Sutter Creek
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 (~44 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on North Star Academy's federal record.
- Compare North Star Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Amador County 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 North Star Academy
How many students attend North Star Academy?
North Star Academy has 44 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Sutter Creek, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North Star Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at North Star Academy is 8.8:1, which is 59% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 44% 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 North Star Academy?
52.9% of students at North Star Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of North Star Academy?
The largest demographic group at North Star Academy is White at 70.5% of enrollment, in Sutter Creek, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for North Star Academy?
North Star Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does North Star Academy rank among public schools in Sutter Creek?
By Resource Investment Index, North Star Academy ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Sutter Creek, 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 Sutter Creek on the city page.
Is North Star Academy a good school?
North Star Academy earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% 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 Amador County Unified?
Besides North Star Academy, Amador County Unified also operates Amador High (615 students), Argonaut High (593 students), and Ione Elementary (564 students). See the Amador County 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.