Enrollment
221
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara Community Academy
Federal NCES profile for Santa Barbara Community Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060141408347
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Santa Barbara Community Academy earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #11 of 20
- elementary schools in Santa Barbara · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.4:1
- small classes for California
- 67.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Santa Barbara Community Academy has class sizes smaller than 77% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Santa Barbara Community Academy ranks #11 of 20 elementary schools in Santa Barbara, CA.
School address
District: Santa Barbara Unified · California
NCES ID 060141408347 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
67.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Santa Barbara Community Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Santa Barbara Community Academy
Santa Barbara Community Academy is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Santa Barbara, California, enrolling 221 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 67.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 221 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 654 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #115.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 10/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Santa Barbara's elementary schools, it stands alongside Peabody Charter (780 students): Santa Barbara Community Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.4:1 vs 24.4:1).
Santa Barbara Unified also operates Dos Pueblos Senior High (2,149 students) and San Marcos Senior High (1,926 students) alongside Santa Barbara Community Academy.
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 Santa Barbara Community Academy compares
Santa Barbara Community Academy on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.4:1 | ▼ 14% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 67.5% | ▲ 22% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 221 | top 81% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.4:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
221
Bigger than 22% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
67.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.4:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 23% in California - lower ratio than 77% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
26.7%
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
$16,366
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
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: 1.4 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 95.0%
Two or More 3.2%
White 1.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 95.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 9.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 9.6, Santa Barbara Community Academy is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Santa Barbara Unified, which includes Santa Barbara Community Academy.
$16,366
Per student
-1%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 72.3%
State 18.5%
Federal 9.2%
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 Santa Barbara Community Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dos Pueblos Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| San Marcos Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Santa Barbara Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| La Colina Junior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Goleta Valley Junior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Santa Barbara Community Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,149
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,926
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,924
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 832
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 731
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar elementary schools in Santa Barbara
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Peabody Charter
Standard public school
780 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Washington Elementary
Standard public school
477 students 17:1 students per teacher
Adams Elementary
Standard public school
469 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Roosevelt Elementary
Standard public school
463 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Franklin Elementary
Standard public school
424 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Foothill Elementary
Standard public school
413 students 24.3:1 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 (~221 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Santa Barbara Community Academy's federal record.
- Compare Santa Barbara Community Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara Community Academy
How many students attend Santa Barbara Community Academy?
Santa Barbara Community Academy has 221 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Santa Barbara, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Santa Barbara Community Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Santa Barbara Community Academy is 18.4:1, which is 14% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 17% higher 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 Santa Barbara Community Academy?
67.5% of students at Santa Barbara Community Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Santa Barbara Community Academy?
The largest demographic group at Santa Barbara Community Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 95.0% of enrollment, in Santa Barbara, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Santa Barbara Community Academy?
Santa Barbara Community Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical 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 Santa Barbara Community Academy rank among elementary schools in Santa Barbara?
By Resource Investment Index, Santa Barbara Community Academy ranks #11 of 20 elementary schools in Santa Barbara, 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 Santa Barbara on the city page.
Is Santa Barbara Community Academy a good school?
Santa Barbara Community Academy earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% of California schools. It is also less 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 Santa Barbara Unified?
Besides Santa Barbara Community Academy, Santa Barbara Unified also operates Dos Pueblos Senior High (2,149 students), San Marcos Senior High (1,926 students), and Santa Barbara Senior High (1,924 students). See the Santa Barbara 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.