Enrollment
64
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Arcadia, CA
Rancho Learning Center (Alternative)
Federal NCES profile for Rancho Learning Center (Alternative), including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 65/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 060297009302
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 90
📋 Attendance 84
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rancho Learning Center (Alternative) earns 65/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #1 of 12
- public schools in Arcadia · Resource Index
- 65
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.7:1
- small classes for California
- 42.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Rancho Learning Center (Alternative) has class sizes smaller than 95% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rancho Learning Center (Alternative) ranks #1 of 12 public schools in Arcadia, CA.
School address
District: Arcadia Unified · California
NCES ID 060297009302 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
6.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-50% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rancho Learning Center (Alternative) compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rancho Learning Center (Alternative)
Rancho Learning Center (Alternative) is a small combined-grade school in Arcadia, California, enrolling 64 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.7:1, Rancho Learning Center (Alternative) is leaner than roughly 95% of California schools and 50% 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 42.0% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 93% of California schools, with 64 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 98% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 152 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #12, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (33%) and Asian (33%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 51 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Arcadia Unified also operates Arcadia High (2,939 students) and Holly Avenue Elementary (789 students) alongside Rancho Learning Center (Alternative).
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 Rancho Learning Center (Alternative) compares
Rancho Learning Center (Alternative) on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.7:1 | ▼ 50% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.0% | ▼ 24% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 64 | top 93% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.7:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
64
Bigger than 7% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% 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
10.7:1
students per teacher
- 50% below state mean
Top 5% in California - lower ratio than 95% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
6.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$14,868
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
Counselors1.3 FTE
Per 51 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 32.8%
Asian 32.8%
White 20.3%
Two or More 9.4%
African American 4.7%
Largest group: Asian at 32.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.3, Rancho Learning Center (Alternative) is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Arcadia Unified, which includes Rancho Learning Center (Alternative).
$14,868
Per student
-10%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.7%
State 36.2%
Federal 9.1%
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 Rancho Learning Center (Alternative) Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcadia High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Holly Avenue Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| First Avenue Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Richard Henry Dana Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Camino Grove Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rancho Learning Center (Alternative)'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,939
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 789
- Students per teacher
- 28.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 771
- Students per teacher
- 27.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 710
- Students per teacher
- 25.4:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 25.7:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
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 (~64 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rancho Learning Center (Alternative)'s federal record.
- Compare Rancho Learning Center (Alternative) against another school. Compare schools
- Arcadia 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 Rancho Learning Center (Alternative)
How many students attend Rancho Learning Center (Alternative)?
Rancho Learning Center (Alternative) has 64 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Arcadia, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rancho Learning Center (Alternative)?
The student-teacher ratio at Rancho Learning Center (Alternative) is 10.7:1, which is 50% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 32% 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 Rancho Learning Center (Alternative)?
42.0% of students at Rancho Learning Center (Alternative) are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rancho Learning Center (Alternative)?
The largest demographic group at Rancho Learning Center (Alternative) is Asian at 32.8% of enrollment, in Arcadia, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rancho Learning Center (Alternative)?
Rancho Learning Center (Alternative) has a Resource Investment Index of 65/100 (higher 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 Rancho Learning Center (Alternative) rank among public schools in Arcadia?
By Resource Investment Index, Rancho Learning Center (Alternative) ranks #1 of 12 public schools in Arcadia, 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 Arcadia on the city page.
Is Rancho Learning Center (Alternative) a good school?
Rancho Learning Center (Alternative) earns 65/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% 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 Arcadia Unified?
Besides Rancho Learning Center (Alternative), Arcadia Unified also operates Arcadia High (2,939 students), Holly Avenue Elementary (789 students), and First Avenue Middle (771 students). See the Arcadia 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.