Enrollment
850
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Sylmar, CA
Sylmar Leadership Academy
Federal NCES profile for Sylmar Leadership Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062271013198
👥 S:T ratio 19
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sylmar Leadership Academy earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #4 of 9
- elementary schools in Sylmar · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.2:1
- students per teacher
- 75.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Sylmar Leadership Academy has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sylmar Leadership Academy ranks #4 of 9 elementary schools in Sylmar, CA.
School address
District: Los Angeles Unified · California
NCES ID 062271013198 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
+36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sylmar Leadership Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sylmar Leadership Academy
Sylmar Leadership Academy is a high-poverty, large elementary school in Sylmar, California, enrolling 850 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 20.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 75.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 850 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,418 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #346.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (93% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 13/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 850 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Los Angeles Unified spends $21,940 per pupil, 33% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Sylmar's elementary schools, it stands alongside Dyer Street Elementary (539 students): Sylmar Leadership Academy is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.2:1 vs 20:1).
Los Angeles Unified also operates Grover Cleveland Charter High (2,719 students) and North Hollywood Senior High (2,444 students) alongside Sylmar Leadership 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 Sylmar Leadership Academy compares
Sylmar Leadership 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 | 20.2:1 | ▼ 6% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.5% | ▲ 36% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 850 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.2:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
850
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% 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
20.2:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 36% in California - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
26.8%
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
$21,940
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 850 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 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 93.2%
White 2.1%
African American 2.0%
Asian 1.4%
Two or More 1.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 93.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 13.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 13.0, Sylmar Leadership Academy is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Los Angeles Unified, which includes Sylmar Leadership Academy.
$21,940
Per student
+33%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.3%
State 54.5%
Federal 19.2%
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 Sylmar Leadership Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grover Cleveland Charter High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Hollywood Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Phineas Banning Senior High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| San Pedro Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Venice Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sylmar Leadership Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,719
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,444
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,398
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,293
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar elementary schools in Sylmar
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Dyer Street Elementary
Standard public school
539 students 20:1 students per teacher
Hubbard Street Elementary
Standard public school
535 students 19.8:1 students per teacher
Sylmar Elementary
Standard public school
393 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Herrick Avenue Elementary
Standard public school
379 students 18:1 students per teacher
El Dorado Avenue Elementary
Standard public school
364 students 21.4:1 students per teacher
Harding Street Elementary
Standard public school
357 students 18.8:1 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 (~850 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sylmar Leadership Academy's federal record.
- Compare Sylmar Leadership Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Los Angeles Unified'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 Sylmar Leadership Academy
How many students attend Sylmar Leadership Academy?
Sylmar Leadership Academy has 850 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Sylmar, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sylmar Leadership Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Sylmar Leadership Academy is 20.2:1, which is 6% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 29% higher 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 Sylmar Leadership Academy?
75.5% of students at Sylmar Leadership Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sylmar Leadership Academy?
The largest demographic group at Sylmar Leadership Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 93.2% of enrollment, in Sylmar, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sylmar Leadership Academy?
Sylmar Leadership Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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 Sylmar Leadership Academy rank among elementary schools in Sylmar?
By Resource Investment Index, Sylmar Leadership Academy ranks #4 of 9 elementary schools in Sylmar, 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 Sylmar on the city page.
Is Sylmar Leadership Academy a good school?
Sylmar Leadership Academy earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Los Angeles Unified?
Besides Sylmar Leadership Academy, Los Angeles Unified also operates Grover Cleveland Charter High (2,719 students), North Hollywood Senior High (2,444 students), and Phineas Banning Senior High (2,422 students). See the Los Angeles Unified 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.