Enrollment
205
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · El Centro, CA
Valley Academy
Federal NCES profile for Valley Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 069101013814
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 73
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Valley Academy earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #2 of 3
- schools in El Centro · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.6:1
- large classes for California
- 90.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Valley Academy has class sizes larger than 83% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Academy ranks #2 of 3 schools in El Centro, CA.
School address
District: Imperial County Office of Education · California
NCES ID 069101013814 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
90.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
+63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Valley Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Valley Academy
Valley Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in El Centro, California, enrolling 205 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.6:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 90.6% of students qualify for free meals, 63% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 205 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 367 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #262, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 9/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 137 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 53.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Imperial County Office of Education spends $97,749 per pupil, 492% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 20.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among El Centro's public schools, it stands alongside Imperial County Special Education (481 students): Valley Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.6:1 vs 12.7:1).
Imperial County Office of Education also operates Imperial County Special Education (481 students) and Imperial Pathways Charter (246 students) alongside Valley 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 Valley Academy compares
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 | 25.6:1 | ▲ 19% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 90.6% | ▲ 63% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 205 | top 82% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.6:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
205
Bigger than 20% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
90.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% 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
25.6:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 83% in California - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
53.2%
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
$97,749
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 137 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: 5.9 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 95.6%
White 2.0%
African American 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 95.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 8.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 8.5, Valley Academy is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Imperial County Office of Education, which includes Valley Academy.
$97,749
Per student
+492%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+489%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.6%
State 52.0%
Federal 20.4%
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 Valley Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial County Special Education | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Imperial Pathways Charter | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Imperial County Juvenile Hall/Community | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Valley Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 481
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 246
- Students per teacher
- 35.1:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 11
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
Similar other schools in El Centro
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 (~205 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Valley Academy's federal record.
- Compare Valley Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Imperial County Office of Education'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 Valley Academy
How many students attend Valley Academy?
Valley Academy has 205 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in El Centro, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Valley Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Valley Academy is 25.6:1, which is 19% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 63% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Valley Academy?
90.6% of students at Valley Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Valley Academy?
The largest demographic group at Valley Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 95.6% of enrollment, in El Centro, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Valley Academy?
Valley Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (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 Valley Academy rank among schools in El Centro?
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Academy ranks #2 of 3 schools in El Centro, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in El Centro on the city page.
Is Valley Academy a good school?
Valley Academy earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of California schools. 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 Imperial County Office of Education?
Besides Valley Academy, Imperial County Office of Education also operates Imperial County Special Education (481 students), Imperial Pathways Charter (246 students), and Imperial County Juvenile Hall/Community (11 students). See the Imperial County Office of Education 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.