Enrollment
419
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Visalia, CA
Sycamore Valley Academy
Federal NCES profile for Sycamore Valley Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 19/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060146913015Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sycamore Valley Academy earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of California schools.
- #9 of 31
- elementary schools in Visalia · Resource Index
- 19
- Resource Index · Lower
- 27.9:1
- large classes for California
- 34.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Sycamore Valley Academy has class sizes larger than 92% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sycamore Valley Academy ranks #9 of 31 elementary schools in Visalia, CA.
School address
District: Sycamore Valley Academy District · California
NCES ID 060146913015 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sycamore Valley Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sycamore Valley Academy
Sycamore Valley Academy is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Visalia, California, enrolling 419 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.9:1 is larger than about 92% of California schools and 30% 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 34.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 419 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,170 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,006, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (54%) and White (36%) (diversity index 57/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Sycamore Valley Academy District spends $10,683 per pupil, 35% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Visalia's elementary schools, it stands alongside Riverway Elementary (857 students): Sycamore Valley Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (27.9:1 vs 27.6:1).
Sycamore Valley Academy District is a single-school charter district, so Sycamore Valley 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 Sycamore Valley Academy compares
Sycamore 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 | 27.9:1 | ▲ 30% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.4% | ▼ 38% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 419 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.9:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
419
Bigger than 50% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 38% 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
27.9:1
students per teacher
- 30% above state mean
Top 92% in California - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
28.9%
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
$10,683
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
6
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.3 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 54.3%
White 36.1%
Two or More 7.7%
Asian 1.4%
African American 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 54.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.9, Sycamore Valley Academy is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sycamore Valley Academy District, which includes Sycamore Valley Academy.
$10,683
Per student
-35%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.7%
State 73.5%
Federal 6.8%
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.
Similar elementary schools in Visalia
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Riverway Elementary
Standard public school
857 students 27.6:1 students per teacher
Annie R. Mitchell
Standard public school
789 students 26.3:1 students per teacher
Oak Grove Elementary
Standard public school
756 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Manuel F. Hernandez
Standard public school
707 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Four Creeks Elementary
Standard public school
654 students 21.8:1 students per teacher
Denton Elementary
Standard public school
648 students 24.9:1 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 (~419 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~27.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sycamore Valley Academy's federal record.
- Compare Sycamore Valley Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Sycamore Valley 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 Sycamore Valley Academy
How many students attend Sycamore Valley Academy?
Sycamore Valley Academy has 419 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Visalia, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sycamore Valley Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Sycamore Valley Academy is 27.9:1, which is 30% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 78% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sycamore Valley Academy?
34.4% of students at Sycamore Valley Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sycamore Valley Academy?
The largest demographic group at Sycamore Valley Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 54.3% of enrollment, in Visalia, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sycamore Valley Academy?
Sycamore Valley Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (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 Sycamore Valley Academy rank among elementary schools in Visalia?
By Resource Investment Index, Sycamore Valley Academy ranks #9 of 31 elementary schools in Visalia, 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 Visalia on the city page.
Is Sycamore Valley Academy a good school?
Sycamore Valley Academy earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% 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 Sycamore Valley Academy District?
None; Sycamore Valley Academy District is a single-school charter district, and Sycamore Valley 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.