Enrollment
268
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Tustin, CA
Tustin Connect
Federal NCES profile for Tustin Connect, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 064015007201
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tustin Connect earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Tustin · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 33.5:1
- large classes for California
- 36.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Tustin Connect has class sizes larger than 98% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tustin Connect ranks #2 of 3 schools in Tustin, CA.
School address
District: Tustin Unified · California
NCES ID 064015007201 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
33.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+56% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
-34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tustin Connect compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tustin Connect
Tustin Connect is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Tustin, California, enrolling 268 students.
Class loads run heavy: 33.5:1 is larger than about 98% of California schools and 56% 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 36.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 268 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 595 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #348.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (40%) and White (35%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 268 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Tustin's public schools, it stands alongside Legacy Magnet Academy (964 students): Tustin Connect is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (33.5:1 vs 33.2:1).
Tustin Unified also operates Arnold O. Beckman High (2,776 students) and Foothill High (2,126 students) alongside Tustin Connect.
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 Tustin Connect compares
Tustin Connect on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 33.5:1 | ▲ 56% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.6% | ▼ 34% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 268 | top 77% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
33.5:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
268
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% 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
33.5:1
students per teacher
- 56% above state mean
Top 98% in California - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
45.5%
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
$13,372
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 268 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 39.7%
White 34.5%
Asian 16.5%
Two or More 7.5%
African American 1.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 39.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.0, Tustin Connect is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tustin Unified, which includes Tustin Connect.
$13,372
Per student
-19%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.9%
State 38.0%
Federal 8.1%
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 Tustin Connect Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arnold O. Beckman High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Foothill High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tustin High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Orchard Hills | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sycamore Magnet Academy | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tustin Connect's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,776
- Students per teacher
- 26.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,126
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,627
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,373
- Students per teacher
- 29.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,085
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
Similar other schools in Tustin
2 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 (~268 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tustin Connect's federal record.
- Compare Tustin Connect against another school. Compare schools
- Tustin 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 Tustin Connect
How many students attend Tustin Connect?
Tustin Connect has 268 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Tustin, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tustin Connect?
The student-teacher ratio at Tustin Connect is 33.5:1, which is 56% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 113% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Tustin Connect?
36.6% of students at Tustin Connect are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tustin Connect?
The largest demographic group at Tustin Connect is Hispanic or Latino at 39.7% of enrollment, in Tustin, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tustin Connect?
Tustin Connect has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Tustin Connect rank among schools in Tustin?
By Resource Investment Index, Tustin Connect ranks #2 of 3 schools in Tustin, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Tustin on the city page.
Is Tustin Connect a good school?
Tustin Connect earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of California schools. It is also more 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 Tustin Unified?
Besides Tustin Connect, Tustin Unified also operates Arnold O. Beckman High (2,776 students), Foothill High (2,126 students), and Tustin High (1,627 students). See the Tustin 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.