Enrollment
249
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Laguna Niguel, CA
Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts
Federal NCES profile for Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 19/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060224300688Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of California schools.
- #7 of 8
- elementary schools in Laguna Niguel · Resource Index
- 19
- Resource Index · Lower
- 27.7:1
- large classes for California
- 22.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts has class sizes larger than 92% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts ranks #7 of 8 elementary schools in Laguna Niguel, CA.
School address
NCES ID 060224300688 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
9.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
-60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts
Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Laguna Niguel, California, enrolling 249 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.7:1 is larger than about 92% of California schools and 29% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 22.1% free-meal eligibility runs 60% below the California average.
Enrollment of 249 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 339 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #316, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 59/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Laguna Niguel's elementary schools, it stands alongside Community Roots Academy (780 students): Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (27.7:1 vs 19.5:1).
Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts District is a single-school charter district, so Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts 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 Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts compares
Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 27.7:1 | ▲ 29% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.1% | ▼ 60% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 249 | top 79% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.7:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
249
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% 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
27.7:1
students per teacher
- 29% above state mean
Top 92% in California - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
29.3%
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
$14,623
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 + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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 58.6%
Hispanic or Latino 22.1%
Two or More 8.8%
Asian 7.2%
African American 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 58.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.4, Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts District, which includes Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts.
$14,623
Per student
-11%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 65.0%
State 27.6%
Federal 7.3%
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 Laguna Niguel
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Community Roots Academy
Standard public school
780 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
John Malcom Elementary
Standard public school
553 students 25.1:1 students per teacher
Moulton Elementary
Standard public school
538 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Laguna Niguel Elementary
Standard public school
456 students 26.8:1 students per teacher
Marian Bergeson Elementary
Standard public school
423 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
George White Elementary
Standard public school
378 students 23.6:1 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 (~249 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~27.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts's federal record.
- Compare Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts against another school. Compare schools
- Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts 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 Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts
How many students attend Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts?
Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts has 249 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Laguna Niguel, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts?
The student-teacher ratio at Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts is 27.7:1, which is 29% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 76% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts?
22.1% of students at Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts?
The largest demographic group at Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts is White at 58.6% of enrollment, in Laguna Niguel, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts?
Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (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 Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts rank among elementary schools in Laguna Niguel?
By Resource Investment Index, Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts ranks #7 of 8 elementary schools in Laguna Niguel, 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 Laguna Niguel on the city page.
Is Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts a good school?
Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% 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 Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts District?
None; Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts District is a single-school charter district, and Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts is its only campus.
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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.