Enrollment
331
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Costa Mesa, CA
Orange County Special Education
Federal NCES profile for Orange County Special Education, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 069102407991
👥 S:T ratio 72
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Orange County Special Education earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of California schools.
- #5 of 7
- schools in Costa Mesa · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 7:1
- small classes for California
- 40.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Orange County Special Education has class sizes smaller than 98% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Orange County Special Education ranks #5 of 7 schools in Costa Mesa, CA.
School address
District: Orange County Department of Education · California
NCES ID 069102407991 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-67% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
-27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Orange County Special Education compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Orange County Special Education
Orange County Special Education is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Costa Mesa, California, enrolling 331 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7:1, Orange County Special Education is leaner than roughly 98% of California schools and 67% 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 40.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 331 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.
Against 911 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #311.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (51%) and White (23%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 331 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 64.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Orange County Department of Education spends $90,934 per pupil, 451% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Costa Mesa's public schools, it stands alongside Costa Mesa High (1,730 students): Orange County Special Education is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (7:1 vs 19.2:1).
Orange County Department of Education also operates Access County Community (1,315 students) and Occs:Chep/Pchs (290 students) alongside Orange County Special Education.
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 Special Education compares
Orange County Special Education on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 7:1 | ▼ 67% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.6% | ▼ 27% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 331 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7:1
Leaner classes than 97% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
331
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
40.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% 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
7:1
students per teacher
- 67% below state mean
Top 2% in California - lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
64.4%
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
$90,934
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 331 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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 51.4%
White 22.8%
Asian 15.8%
African American 4.0%
Two or More 3.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 51.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.6, Orange County Special Education is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Orange County Department of Education, which includes Orange County Special Education.
$90,934
Per student
+451%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+448%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.2%
State 29.5%
Federal 10.3%
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.
How Orange County Special Education Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access County Community | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Occs:Chep/Pchs | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Access Juvenile Hall | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| College and Career Preparatory Academy | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Orange County Special Education's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,315
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 290
- Students per teacher
- 29:1
- Resource Index
- 0/100
- Enrollment
- 186
- Students per teacher
- 6.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 168
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 4/100
Similar other schools in Costa Mesa
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Costa Mesa High
Standard public school
1,730 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Access County Community
Alternative education program
1,315 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
California Pacific Charter- Los Angeles
Standard public school
423 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
California Pacific Charter - San Diego
Standard public school
310 students 8.2:1 students per teacher
Access Juvenile Hall
Alternative education program
186 students 6.9:1 students per teacher
Monte Vista High/Cloud Campus
Alternative education program
48 students 2.3:1 students per teacher
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 (~331 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Orange County Special Education's federal record.
- Compare Orange County Special Education against another school. Compare schools
- Orange County Department of Education'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 Special Education
How many students attend Orange County Special Education?
Orange County Special Education has 331 students enrolled. It is a special-education school in Costa Mesa, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Orange County Special Education?
The student-teacher ratio at Orange County Special Education is 7:1, which is 67% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 55% 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 Orange County Special Education?
40.6% of students at Orange County Special Education are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Orange County Special Education?
The largest demographic group at Orange County Special Education is Hispanic or Latino at 51.4% of enrollment, in Costa Mesa, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Orange County Special Education?
Orange County Special Education has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical 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 Orange County Special Education rank among schools in Costa Mesa?
By Resource Investment Index, Orange County Special Education ranks #5 of 7 schools in Costa Mesa, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Costa Mesa on the city page.
Is Orange County Special Education a good school?
Orange County Special Education earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% 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 Department of Education?
Besides Orange County Special Education, Orange County Department of Education also operates Access County Community (1,315 students), Occs:Chep/Pchs (290 students), and Access Juvenile Hall (186 students). See the Orange County Department of Education district page for the complete list.
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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.