Enrollment
73
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Novato, CA
Nova Education Center
Federal NCES profile for Nova Education Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 062772004199
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Nova Education Center earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #1 of 15
- public schools in Novato · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.6:1
- small classes for California
- 39.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Nova Education Center has class sizes smaller than 90% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Nova Education Center ranks #1 of 15 public schools in Novato, CA.
School address
District: Novato Unified · California
NCES ID 062772004199 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Nova Education Center compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Nova Education Center
Nova Education Center is a small combined-grade school in Novato, California, enrolling 73 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 14.6:1, Nova Education Center is leaner than roughly 90% of California schools and 32% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 39.0% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 92% of California schools, with 73 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 143 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #27.
Its student body is led by White (47%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
Novato Unified also operates Novato High (1,287 students) and San Marin High (1,250 students) alongside Nova Education Center.
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 Nova Education Center compares
Nova Education Center on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.6:1 | ▼ 32% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.0% | ▼ 30% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 73 | top 92% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
73
Bigger than 8% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 32% below state mean
Top 10% in California - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Funding equity
$14,065
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 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 46.5%
Hispanic or Latino 26.8%
Two or More 16.9%
Asian 9.9%
Largest group: White at 46.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.4, Nova Education Center is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Novato Unified, which includes Nova Education Center.
$14,065
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.1%
State 43.5%
Federal 7.4%
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.
How Nova Education Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novato High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| San Marin High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sinaloa Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| San Jose Intermediate | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hamilton Meadow Park | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Nova Education Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,287
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,250
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 693
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 559
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 544
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
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 (~73 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Nova Education Center's federal record.
- Compare Nova Education Center against another school. Compare schools
- Novato 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 Nova Education Center
How many students attend Nova Education Center?
Nova Education Center has 73 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Novato, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Nova Education Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Nova Education Center is 14.6:1, which is 32% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 7% 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 Nova Education Center?
39.0% of students at Nova Education Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Nova Education Center?
The largest demographic group at Nova Education Center is White at 46.5% of enrollment, in Novato, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Nova Education Center?
Nova Education Center has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Nova Education Center rank among public schools in Novato?
By Resource Investment Index, Nova Education Center ranks #1 of 15 public schools in Novato, 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 Novato on the city page.
Is Nova Education Center a good school?
Nova Education Center earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Novato Unified?
Besides Nova Education Center, Novato Unified also operates Novato High (1,287 students), San Marin High (1,250 students), and Sinaloa Middle (693 students). See the Novato 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.