Enrollment
226
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Sonoma, CA
Sonoma Charter
Federal NCES profile for Sonoma Charter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060226004112Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 20
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sonoma Charter earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #1 of 6
- elementary schools in Sonoma · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.6:1
- students per teacher
- 34.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Sonoma Charter has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sonoma Charter ranks #1 of 6 elementary schools in Sonoma, CA.
School address
District: Sonoma Charter District · California
NCES ID 060226004112 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
-39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sonoma Charter compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sonoma Charter
Sonoma Charter is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Sonoma, California, enrolling 226 students.
At 22.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 34.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 226 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 408 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #355, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (45%) (diversity index 56/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Sonoma Charter District spends $12,665 per pupil, 23% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Sonoma's elementary schools, it stands alongside Flowery Elementary (368 students): Sonoma Charter is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.6:1 vs 24.5:1).
Sonoma Charter District is a single-school charter district, so Sonoma Charter 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 Sonoma Charter compares
Sonoma Charter on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.6:1 | ▲ 5% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.1% | ▼ 39% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 226 | top 81% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.6:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
226
Bigger than 22% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
22.6:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 59% in California - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
31.9%
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
$12,665
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 + 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
White 48.2%
Hispanic or Latino 45.1%
Two or More 4.9%
African American 0.9%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 48.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.2, Sonoma Charter is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sonoma Charter District, which includes Sonoma Charter.
$12,665
Per student
-23%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.4%
State 17.2%
Federal 16.4%
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 elementary schools in Sonoma
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Flowery Elementary
Standard public school
368 students 24.5:1 students per teacher
El Verano Elementary
Standard public school
314 students 26.2:1 students per teacher
Sassarini Elementary
Standard public school
281 students 21.6:1 students per teacher
Prestwood Elementary
Standard public school
275 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
Woodland Star Charter
Standard public school
244 students 24.4:1 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 (~226 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sonoma Charter's federal record.
- Compare Sonoma Charter against another school. Compare schools
- Sonoma Charter 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 Sonoma Charter
How many students attend Sonoma Charter?
Sonoma Charter has 226 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Sonoma, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sonoma Charter?
The student-teacher ratio at Sonoma Charter is 22.6:1, which is 5% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 44% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sonoma Charter?
34.1% of students at Sonoma Charter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sonoma Charter?
The largest demographic group at Sonoma Charter is White at 48.2% of enrollment, in Sonoma, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sonoma Charter?
Sonoma Charter has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (lower 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 Sonoma Charter rank among elementary schools in Sonoma?
By Resource Investment Index, Sonoma Charter ranks #1 of 6 elementary schools in Sonoma, 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 Sonoma on the city page.
Is Sonoma Charter a good school?
Sonoma Charter earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Sonoma Charter District?
None; Sonoma Charter District is a single-school charter district, and Sonoma Charter 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.