Enrollment
191
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Nevada City, CA
Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning
Federal NCES profile for Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 060202112922Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 46
📚 AP courses 15
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 62
📋 Attendance 61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of California schools.
- #1 of 10
- public schools in Nevada City · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.6:1
- small classes for California
- 43.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning has class sizes smaller than 91% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning ranks #1 of 10 public schools in Nevada City, CA.
School address
NCES ID 060202112922 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-37% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning
Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning is a mid-sized charter high school in Nevada City, California, enrolling 191 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 13.6:1, Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning is leaner than roughly 91% of California schools and 37% 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 43.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 191 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 92% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 405 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #45.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Two or More (18%) (diversity index 51/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 3 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 191 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
15.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Nevada City's high schools, it stands alongside John Muir Charter (629 students): Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.6:1 vs 21:1).
Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning District is a single-school charter district, so Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning 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 Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning compares
Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.6:1 | ▼ 37% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.9% | ▼ 21% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 191 | top 83% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.6:1
Leaner classes than 61% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
191
Bigger than 19% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% 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
13.6:1
students per teacher
- 37% 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
15.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$15,415
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 191 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.3 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 66.8%
Two or More 17.6%
Hispanic or Latino 13.4%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Largest group: White at 66.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.5, Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning District, which includes Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning.
$15,415
Per student
-7%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 79.4%
State 14.6%
Federal 6.0%
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 Nevada City
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
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 (~191 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning's federal record.
- Compare Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning against another school. Compare schools
- Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning 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 Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning
How many students attend Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning?
Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning has 191 students enrolled. It is a high school in Nevada City, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning?
The student-teacher ratio at Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning is 13.6:1, which is 37% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 13% 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 Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning?
43.9% of students at Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning?
The largest demographic group at Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning is White at 66.8% of enrollment, in Nevada City, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning?
Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning rank among public schools in Nevada City?
By Resource Investment Index, Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning ranks #1 of 10 public schools in Nevada City, 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 Nevada City on the city page.
Is Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning a good school?
Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with 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 Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning District?
None; Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning District is a single-school charter district, and Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning 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.