Enrollment
878
California · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 062271014635
Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment — Carson, CA
Federal NCES profile for Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 20/100.
👥 Class size 20
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Los Angeles Unified · California
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
61.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.9:1
vs 21.6:1 California avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
71.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment compares with California and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment reports 878 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 61.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 19.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 8% below the California state mean of 21.6:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 25% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 71.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 29% above the California average and 38% above the national baseline.
On the finance side, the surrounding Los Angeles Unified spends $25,877 per pupil district-wide, above the California average of $18,039 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 26.3% from local sources (property taxes), 54.5% from the state, and 19.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (F), calculated from 1 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against California state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.9:1 | ▼ 8% | 21.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.7% | ▲ 29% | 55.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 878 | top 86% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
71.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 29% 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
19.9:1
students per teacher
— 8% below state mean
Top 29% in California — lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$25,877
per pupil, district-wide
— above California avg of $18,039
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Overview
Enrollment 878 Top 86% in California — larger than 14% of 10,006 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 61.0
Students per teacher 19.9:1 -8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 71.7% +29% vs state
NCES ID 062271014635
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 73.7%
African American 13.7%
White 5.2%
Two or More 5.0%
Asian 1.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 73.7% of enrollment.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Los Angeles Unified, which includes Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment.
$25,877
Per student
+43%
vs California
Avg $18,039
+33%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,719
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Enrollment
- 2,444
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Enrollment
- 2,398
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Enrollment
- 2,293
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
Similar other schools in Carson
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment
How many students attend Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment?
Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment has 878 students enrolled. It is a other school in Carson, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment?
The student-teacher ratio at Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment is 19.9:1, which is 8% lower than the California average of 21.6:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment?
71.7% of students at Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment?
The largest demographic group at Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment is Hispanic or Latino at 73.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Carson, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment?
Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (F) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.