Enrollment
69
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Madera, CA
Sherman Thomas Charter High
Federal NCES profile for Sherman Thomas Charter High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 060156312209Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 45
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sherman Thomas Charter High earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 91% of California schools.
- #6 of 8
- high schools in Madera · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.8:1
- small classes for California
- 47.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Sherman Thomas Charter High has class sizes smaller than 91% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sherman Thomas Charter High ranks #6 of 8 high schools in Madera, CA.
School address
District: Sherman Thomas Charter High District · California
NCES ID 060156312209 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-36% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sherman Thomas Charter High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sherman Thomas Charter High
Sherman Thomas Charter High is a small charter high school in Madera, California, enrolling 69 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 13.8:1, Sherman Thomas Charter High is leaner than roughly 91% of California schools and 36% 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 47.6% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 92% of California schools, with 69 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 178 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #146, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (73%) and White (22%) (diversity index 43/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 49.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Sherman Thomas Charter High District spends $11,901 per pupil, 28% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Madera's high schools, it stands alongside Matilda Torres High (2,017 students): Sherman Thomas Charter High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.8:1 vs 23.5:1).
Sherman Thomas Charter High District is a single-school charter district, so Sherman Thomas Charter High operates independently rather than alongside district-mates. At 69 students, it is also a small operation, on the smaller end of California's single-school districts.
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 Sherman Thomas Charter High compares
Sherman Thomas Charter High on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.8:1 | ▼ 36% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.6% | ▼ 14% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 69 | top 92% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
69
Bigger than 7% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% 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
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 36% below state mean
Top 9% in California - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
49.3%
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
$11,901
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.9 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 72.5%
White 21.7%
African American 2.9%
Asian 1.4%
Two or More 1.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 72.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.6, Sherman Thomas Charter High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sherman Thomas Charter High District, which includes Sherman Thomas Charter High.
$11,901
Per student
-28%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 12.4%
State 86.2%
Federal 1.4%
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 high schools in Madera
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Matilda Torres High
Standard public school
2,017 students 23.5:1 students per teacher
Madera High
Standard public school
1,869 students 23.7:1 students per teacher
Madera South High
Standard public school
1,859 students 20.9:1 students per teacher
Liberty High
Standard public school
748 students 23.4:1 students per teacher
Mountain Vista High
Alternative education program
162 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Independence Continuation High
Alternative education program
45 students 22.5:1 students per teacher
Similar high 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 (~69 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sherman Thomas Charter High's federal record.
- Compare Sherman Thomas Charter High against another school. Compare schools
- Sherman Thomas Charter High 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 Sherman Thomas Charter High
How many students attend Sherman Thomas Charter High?
Sherman Thomas Charter High has 69 students enrolled. It is a high school in Madera, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sherman Thomas Charter High?
The student-teacher ratio at Sherman Thomas Charter High is 13.8:1, which is 36% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 12% 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 Sherman Thomas Charter High?
47.6% of students at Sherman Thomas Charter High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sherman Thomas Charter High?
The largest demographic group at Sherman Thomas Charter High is Hispanic or Latino at 72.5% of enrollment, in Madera, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sherman Thomas Charter High?
Sherman Thomas Charter High has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Sherman Thomas Charter High rank among high schools in Madera?
By Resource Investment Index, Sherman Thomas Charter High ranks #6 of 8 high schools in Madera, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Madera on the city page.
Is Sherman Thomas Charter High a good school?
Sherman Thomas Charter High earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 91% 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 Sherman Thomas Charter High District?
None; Sherman Thomas Charter High District is a single-school charter district, and Sherman Thomas Charter High 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.