Enrollment
44
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Eureka, CA
South Bay Charter
Federal NCES profile for South Bay Charter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063735012891Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 82
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Bay Charter earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of California schools.
- #3 of 11
- elementary schools in Eureka · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.7:1
- small classes for California
- 63.0%
- free-lunch eligible
South Bay Charter has class sizes smaller than 90% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Bay Charter ranks #3 of 11 elementary schools in Eureka, CA.
School address
District: South Bay Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 063735012891 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
3.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Bay Charter compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Bay Charter
South Bay Charter is a higher-need, small charter elementary school in Eureka, California, enrolling 44 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 14.7:1, South Bay Charter is leaner than roughly 90% of California schools and 32% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 63.0% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 94% of California schools, with 44 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 139 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #70.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 88 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 56.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Eureka's elementary schools, it stands alongside Washington Elementary (426 students): South Bay Charter is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.7:1 vs 22.4:1).
South Bay Union Elementary also operates Pine Hill Elementary (189 students) and South Bay Elementary (141 students) alongside South Bay Charter.
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 South Bay Charter compares
South Bay 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 | 14.7:1 | ▼ 32% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.0% | ▲ 14% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 44 | top 94% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
44
Bigger than 5% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% 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
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 32% below state mean
Top 10% in California - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
56.8%
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
$16,647
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 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 52.4%
Hispanic or Latino 28.6%
Two or More 11.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 7.1%
Largest group: White at 52.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.4, South Bay Charter is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Bay Union Elementary, which includes South Bay Charter.
$16,647
Per student
+1%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.4%
State 60.9%
Federal 19.8%
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 South Bay Charter Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Hill Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Bay Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Bay Charter's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 189
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 141
- Students per teacher
- 28.2:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Eureka
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Washington Elementary
Standard public school
426 students 22.4:1 students per teacher
Alice Birney Elementary
Standard public school
375 students 23.4:1 students per teacher
Lafayette Elementary
Standard public school
324 students 32.4:1 students per teacher
Cutten Elementary
Standard public school
288 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Freshwater Elementary
Standard public school
283 students 25.7:1 students per teacher
Grant Elementary
Standard public school
278 students 25.3:1 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 (~44 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Bay Charter's federal record.
- Compare South Bay Charter against another school. Compare schools
- South Bay Union Elementary'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 South Bay Charter
How many students attend South Bay Charter?
South Bay Charter has 44 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Eureka, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Bay Charter?
The student-teacher ratio at South Bay Charter is 14.7:1, which is 32% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 6% 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 South Bay Charter?
63.0% of students at South Bay Charter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Bay Charter?
The largest demographic group at South Bay Charter is White at 52.4% of enrollment, in Eureka, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Bay Charter?
South Bay Charter has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical 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 South Bay Charter rank among elementary schools in Eureka?
By Resource Investment Index, South Bay Charter ranks #3 of 11 elementary schools in Eureka, 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 Eureka on the city page.
Is South Bay Charter a good school?
South Bay Charter earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% 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 South Bay Union Elementary?
Besides South Bay Charter, South Bay Union Elementary also operates Pine Hill Elementary (189 students) and South Bay Elementary (141 students). See the South Bay Union Elementary 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.