Enrollment
2,653
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · East Nicolaus, CA
South Sutter Charter
Federal NCES profile for South Sutter Charter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 060174011518Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 90
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Sutter Charter earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 26.8:1
- large classes for California
- 32.7%
- free-lunch eligible
- 2,653
- students enrolled
South Sutter Charter has class sizes larger than 89% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: South Sutter Charter District · California
NCES ID 060174011518 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
99.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Sutter Charter compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Sutter Charter
South Sutter Charter is a large charter combined-grade school in East Nicolaus, California, enrolling 2,653 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.8:1 is larger than about 89% of California schools and 25% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.7% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,653 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 201 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #136.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and Two or More (20%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1442 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding South Sutter Charter District spends $11,046 per pupil, 33% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
South Sutter Charter District is a single-school charter district, so South Sutter Charter operates independently rather than alongside district-mates. At 2,653 students, it is also among the largest single-school districts in California, well beyond the enrollment of a typical standalone 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 Sutter Charter compares
South Sutter 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 | 26.8:1 | ▲ 25% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.7% | ▼ 41% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,653 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.8:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,653
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
26.8:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 89% in California - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
3.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$11,046
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
Counselors1.8 FTE
Per 1442 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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 56.9%
Two or More 20.0%
Hispanic or Latino 17.2%
Asian 3.6%
African American 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 56.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.5, South Sutter Charter is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Sutter Charter District, which includes South Sutter Charter.
$11,046
Per student
-33%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.9%
State 80.5%
Federal 4.6%
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 other 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 (~2,653 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Sutter Charter's federal record.
- Compare South Sutter Charter against another school. Compare schools
- South Sutter 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 South Sutter Charter
How many students attend South Sutter Charter?
South Sutter Charter has 2,653 students enrolled. It is a public school in East Nicolaus, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Sutter Charter?
The student-teacher ratio at South Sutter Charter is 26.8:1, which is 25% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 71% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Sutter Charter?
32.7% of students at South Sutter Charter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Sutter Charter?
The largest demographic group at South Sutter Charter is White at 56.9% of enrollment, in East Nicolaus, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Sutter Charter?
South Sutter Charter has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
Is South Sutter Charter a good school?
South Sutter Charter earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California. 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 Sutter Charter District?
None; South Sutter Charter District is a single-school charter district, and South Sutter 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.