Enrollment
597
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Spring Valley, CA
Spring Valley Academy
Federal NCES profile for Spring Valley Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062025002445
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Spring Valley Academy earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of California schools.
- #4 of 15
- public schools in Spring Valley · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 28.4:1
- large classes for California
- 63.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Spring Valley Academy has class sizes larger than 94% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Spring Valley Academy ranks #4 of 15 public schools in Spring Valley, CA.
School address
District: La Mesa-Spring Valley · California
NCES ID 062025002445 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
28.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Spring Valley Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Spring Valley Academy
Spring Valley Academy is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Spring Valley, California, enrolling 597 students.
Class loads run heavy: 28.4:1 is larger than about 94% of California schools and 32% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 63.2% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 597 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,950 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #1,065.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (63%) and White (16%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 299 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
La Mesa-Spring Valley also operates La Mesa Arts Academy (1,059 students) and Parkway Sports and Health Science Academy (897 students) alongside Spring Valley Academy.
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 Spring Valley Academy compares
Spring Valley 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 | 28.4:1 | ▲ 32% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.2% | ▲ 14% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 597 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
28.4:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
597
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.2%
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
28.4:1
students per teacher
- 32% above state mean
Top 94% in California - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
31.3%
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
$15,084
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 299 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 51 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 expulsions.
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 62.6%
White 15.5%
African American 9.6%
Two or More 7.6%
Asian 4.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 62.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.7, Spring Valley Academy is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for La Mesa-Spring Valley, which includes Spring Valley Academy.
$15,084
Per student
-9%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.8%
State 50.7%
Federal 18.5%
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 Spring Valley Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Mesa Arts Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Parkway Sports and Health Science Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sci Tech Engr Arts and Math Acad at La Presa | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Murdock Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fletcher Hills Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Spring Valley Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,059
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 897
- Students per teacher
- 30.9:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 800
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 608
- Students per teacher
- 27.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 540
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar middle 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 (~597 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~28.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Spring Valley Academy's federal record.
- Compare Spring Valley Academy against another school. Compare schools
- La Mesa-Spring Valley'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 Spring Valley Academy
How many students attend Spring Valley Academy?
Spring Valley Academy has 597 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Spring Valley, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Spring Valley Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Spring Valley Academy is 28.4:1, which is 32% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 81% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Spring Valley Academy?
63.2% of students at Spring Valley Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Spring Valley Academy?
The largest demographic group at Spring Valley Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 62.6% of enrollment, in Spring Valley, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Spring Valley Academy?
Spring Valley Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (lower 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 Spring Valley Academy rank among public schools in Spring Valley?
By Resource Investment Index, Spring Valley Academy ranks #4 of 15 public schools in Spring Valley, 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 Spring Valley on the city page.
Is Spring Valley Academy a good school?
Spring Valley Academy earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% 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 La Mesa-Spring Valley?
Besides Spring Valley Academy, La Mesa-Spring Valley also operates La Mesa Arts Academy (1,059 students), Parkway Sports and Health Science Academy (897 students), and Sci Tech Engr Arts and Math Acad at La Presa (800 students). See the La Mesa-Spring Valley 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.