Enrollment
35
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lancaster, CA
The Leadership Academy
Federal NCES profile for The Leadership Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 62/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062088014588
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 93
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
The Leadership Academy earns 62/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of California schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in California.
- #3 of 28
- elementary schools in Lancaster · Resource Index
- 62
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.7:1
- small classes for California
- 92.3%
- free-lunch eligible
The Leadership Academy has class sizes smaller than 94% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, The Leadership Academy ranks #3 of 28 elementary schools in Lancaster, CA.
School address
District: Lancaster Elementary · California
NCES ID 062088014588 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
3.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-46% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
92.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
+66% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How The Leadership Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at The Leadership Academy
The Leadership Academy is a high-poverty, small elementary school in Lancaster, California, enrolling 35 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.7:1, The Leadership Academy is leaner than roughly 94% of California schools and 46% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 92.3% of students qualify for free meals, 66% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 95% of California schools, with 35 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 98% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 84 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #22.
Its student body is led by African American (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 35 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
11.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 19.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 12 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 35 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Lancaster's elementary schools, it stands alongside Sundown Elementary (941 students): The Leadership Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.7:1 vs 29.4:1).
Lancaster Elementary also operates Amargosa Creek Middle (859 students) and New Vista Middle (835 students) alongside The 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 The Leadership Academy compares
The 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 | 11.7:1 | ▼ 46% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 92.3% | ▲ 66% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 35 | top 95% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.7:1
Leaner classes than 78% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
35
Bigger than 4% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
92.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 66% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.7:1
students per teacher
- 46% below state mean
Top 6% in California - lower ratio than 94% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
11.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$16,048
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 35 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 34.3 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
African American 62.9%
Hispanic or Latino 28.6%
White 5.7%
Two or More 2.9%
Largest group: African American at 62.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.8, The Leadership Academy is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lancaster Elementary, which includes The Leadership Academy.
$16,048
Per student
-3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.4%
State 64.4%
Federal 19.3%
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 The Leadership Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amargosa Creek Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| New Vista Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Endeavour Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Monte Vista Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| El Dorado Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to The Leadership Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 859
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 835
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 805
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 788
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 766
- Students per teacher
- 26.4:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
Similar elementary schools in Lancaster
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Sundown Elementary
Standard public school
941 students 29.4:1 students per teacher
Monte Vista Elementary
Standard public school
788 students 26.3:1 students per teacher
Ilead Lancaster Charter
Standard public school
771 students 26.6:1 students per teacher
El Dorado Elementary
Standard public school
766 students 26.4:1 students per teacher
Del Sur Senior Elementary
Standard public school
763 students 28.3:1 students per teacher
West Wind Elementary
Standard public school
757 students 29.1:1 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 (~35 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on The Leadership Academy's federal record.
- Compare The Leadership Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Lancaster Elementary'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 The Leadership Academy
How many students attend The Leadership Academy?
The Leadership Academy has 35 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lancaster, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at The Leadership Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at The Leadership Academy is 11.7:1, which is 46% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 25% 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 The Leadership Academy?
92.3% of students at The Leadership Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of The Leadership Academy?
The largest demographic group at The Leadership Academy is African American at 62.9% of enrollment, in Lancaster, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for The Leadership Academy?
The Leadership Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 62/100 (higher 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 The Leadership Academy rank among elementary schools in Lancaster?
By Resource Investment Index, The Leadership Academy ranks #3 of 28 elementary schools in Lancaster, 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 Lancaster on the city page.
Is The Leadership Academy a good school?
The Leadership Academy earns 62/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of California schools. It is also one of the smallest 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 Lancaster Elementary?
Besides The Leadership Academy, Lancaster Elementary also operates Amargosa Creek Middle (859 students), New Vista Middle (835 students), and Endeavour Middle (805 students). See the Lancaster Elementary 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.