Enrollment
269
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Novato, CA
Novato Charter
Federal NCES profile for Novato 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 060193606035Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 91
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Novato Charter earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of California schools.
- #8 of 9
- elementary schools in Novato · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 26.9:1
- large classes for California
- 10.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Novato Charter has class sizes larger than 89% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Novato Charter ranks #8 of 9 elementary schools in Novato, CA.
School address
District: Novato Charter District · California
NCES ID 060193606035 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-82% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Novato Charter compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Novato Charter
Novato Charter is a lower-poverty, mid-sized charter elementary school in Novato, California, enrolling 269 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.9:1 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 10.2% free-meal eligibility runs 82% below the California average.
Enrollment of 269 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 254 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #184, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1076 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Novato Charter District spends $10,479 per pupil, 37% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Novato's elementary schools, it stands alongside Hamilton Meadow Park (544 students): Novato Charter is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (26.9:1 vs 22.7:1).
Novato Charter District is a single-school charter district, so Novato 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 Novato Charter compares
Novato 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 | 26.9:1 | ▲ 25% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.2% | ▼ 82% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 269 | top 77% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.9:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
269
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 82% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
26.9:1
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
3.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$10,479
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
Counselors0.3 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 65.4%
Hispanic or Latino 14.5%
Two or More 13.4%
Asian 5.6%
African American 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 65.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.0, Novato Charter is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Novato Charter District, which includes Novato Charter.
$10,479
Per student
-37%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.7%
State 44.7%
Federal 3.6%
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 Novato
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Hamilton Meadow Park
Standard public school
544 students 22.7:1 students per teacher
Pleasant Valley Elementary
Standard public school
464 students 27.3:1 students per teacher
San Ramon Elementary
Standard public school
456 students 25.3:1 students per teacher
Loma Verde Elementary
Standard public school
426 students 25.1:1 students per teacher
Rancho Elementary
Standard public school
387 students 27.6:1 students per teacher
Lu Sutton Elementary
Standard public school
367 students 24.5:1 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 (~269 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~26.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Novato Charter's federal record.
- Compare Novato Charter against another school. Compare schools
- Novato 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 Novato Charter
How many students attend Novato Charter?
Novato Charter has 269 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Novato, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Novato Charter?
The student-teacher ratio at Novato Charter is 26.9:1, 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 Novato Charter?
10.2% of students at Novato Charter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Novato Charter?
The largest demographic group at Novato Charter is White at 65.4% of enrollment, in Novato, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Novato Charter?
Novato 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 Novato Charter rank among elementary schools in Novato?
By Resource Investment Index, Novato Charter ranks #8 of 9 elementary 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 elementary schools in Novato on the city page.
Is Novato Charter a good school?
Novato 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 Novato Charter District?
None; Novato Charter District is a single-school charter district, and Novato Charter 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.