Enrollment
466
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · La Mesa, CA
The Learning Choice Academy - East County
Federal NCES profile for The Learning Choice Academy - East County, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 060249814437Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 99
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
The Learning Choice Academy - East County earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of California schools.
- #2 of 17
- public schools in La Mesa · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.4:1
- small classes for California
- 55.5%
- free-lunch eligible
The Learning Choice Academy - East County has class sizes smaller than 70% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, The Learning Choice Academy - East County ranks #2 of 17 public schools in La Mesa, CA.
School address
NCES ID 060249814437 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
+0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How The Learning Choice Academy - East County compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at The Learning Choice Academy - East County
The Learning Choice Academy - East County is a higher-need, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in La Mesa, California, enrolling 466 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 55.5% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 466 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,655 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #171, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (62%) and White (25%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 466 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 0.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding The Learning Choice Academy - East County District spends $12,024 per pupil, 27% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among La Mesa's public schools, it stands alongside Jcs - Manzanita (224 students): The Learning Choice Academy - East County is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.4:1 vs 18.7:1).
The Learning Choice Academy - East County District is a single-school charter district, so The Learning Choice Academy - East County 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 The Learning Choice Academy - East County compares
The Learning Choice Academy - East County on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.4:1 | ▼ 10% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.5% | ▼ 0% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 466 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.4:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
466
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 0% 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
19.4:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 30% in California - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
0.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$12,024
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 466 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 61.9%
White 24.9%
Two or More 6.2%
African American 4.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Asian 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 61.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.9, The Learning Choice Academy - East County is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for The Learning Choice Academy - East County District, which includes The Learning Choice Academy - East County.
$12,024
Per student
-27%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 50.4%
State 40.0%
Federal 9.6%
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 other schools in La Mesa
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~466 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on The Learning Choice Academy - East County's federal record.
- Compare The Learning Choice Academy - East County against another school. Compare schools
- The Learning Choice Academy - East County 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 The Learning Choice Academy - East County
How many students attend The Learning Choice Academy - East County?
The Learning Choice Academy - East County has 466 students enrolled. It is a public school in La Mesa, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at The Learning Choice Academy - East County?
The student-teacher ratio at The Learning Choice Academy - East County is 19.4:1, which is 10% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 24% 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 The Learning Choice Academy - East County?
55.5% of students at The Learning Choice Academy - East County are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of The Learning Choice Academy - East County?
The largest demographic group at The Learning Choice Academy - East County is Hispanic or Latino at 61.9% of enrollment, in La Mesa, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for The Learning Choice Academy - East County?
The Learning Choice Academy - East County 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 The Learning Choice Academy - East County rank among public schools in La Mesa?
By Resource Investment Index, The Learning Choice Academy - East County ranks #2 of 17 public 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 public schools in La Mesa on the city page.
Is The Learning Choice Academy - East County a good school?
The Learning Choice Academy - East County earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% 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 The Learning Choice Academy - East County District?
None; The Learning Choice Academy - East County District is a single-school charter district, and The Learning Choice Academy - East County is its only campus.
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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.