Enrollment
156
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · La Mesa, CA
Sparrow Academy
Federal NCES profile for Sparrow Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060229814132Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 63
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 31
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sparrow Academy earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of California schools.
- #1 of 12
- elementary schools in La Mesa · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 9.2:1
- small classes for California
- 26.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Sparrow Academy has class sizes smaller than 96% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sparrow Academy ranks #1 of 12 elementary schools in La Mesa, CA.
School address
District: Sparrow Academy District · California
NCES ID 060229814132 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-57% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
-52% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sparrow Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sparrow Academy
Sparrow Academy is a small charter elementary school in La Mesa, California, enrolling 156 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.2:1, Sparrow Academy is leaner than roughly 96% of California schools and 57% 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 26.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 156 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 185 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #54.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (48%) and White (39%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 312 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Sparrow Academy District spends $9,512 per pupil, 42% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among La Mesa's elementary schools, it stands alongside La Mesa Arts Academy (1,059 students): Sparrow Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9.2:1 vs 24.6:1).
Sparrow Academy District is a single-school charter district, so Sparrow Academy 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 Sparrow Academy compares
Sparrow Academy on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9.2:1 | ▼ 57% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.8% | ▼ 52% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 156 | top 86% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.2:1
Leaner classes than 92% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
156
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 52% 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
9.2:1
students per teacher
- 57% below state mean
Top 4% in California - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
27.6%
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
$9,512
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.5 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 48.1%
White 39.1%
Two or More 10.9%
African American 0.6%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 48.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.4, Sparrow Academy is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sparrow Academy District, which includes Sparrow Academy.
$9,512
Per student
-42%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-43%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.7%
State 63.4%
Federal 5.0%
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 elementary schools in La Mesa
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
La Mesa Arts Academy
Standard public school
1,059 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
Murdock Elementary
Standard public school
608 students 27.6:1 students per teacher
Avocado Elementary
Standard public school
573 students 24.9:1 students per teacher
Murray Manor Elementary
Standard public school
530 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Vista La Mesa Academy
Standard public school
518 students 21.6:1 students per teacher
Lemon Avenue Elementary
Standard public school
502 students 26.4:1 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 (~156 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sparrow Academy's federal record.
- Compare Sparrow Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Sparrow Academy 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 Sparrow Academy
How many students attend Sparrow Academy?
Sparrow Academy has 156 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in La Mesa, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sparrow Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Sparrow Academy is 9.2:1, which is 57% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 41% 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 Sparrow Academy?
26.8% of students at Sparrow Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sparrow Academy?
The largest demographic group at Sparrow Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 48.1% of enrollment, in La Mesa, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sparrow Academy?
Sparrow Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Sparrow Academy rank among elementary schools in La Mesa?
By Resource Investment Index, Sparrow Academy ranks #1 of 12 elementary schools in La Mesa, 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 La Mesa on the city page.
Is Sparrow Academy a good school?
Sparrow Academy earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% 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 Sparrow Academy District?
None; Sparrow Academy District is a single-school charter district, and Sparrow Academy 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.