Enrollment
505
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lucerne Valley, CA
Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne
Federal NCES profile for Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 060195614359Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of California schools.
- #1 of 6
- public schools in Lucerne Valley · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18:1
- small classes for California
- 58.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne has class sizes smaller than 79% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Lucerne Valley, CA.
School address
NCES ID 060195614359 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne
Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne is a higher-need, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Lucerne Valley, California, enrolling 505 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 58.2% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 505 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,771 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #372.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (60%) and African American (18%) (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 505 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Elite Acad Academy - Adult Work Force Investment District spends $10,008 per pupil, 39% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Lucerne Valley's public schools, it stands alongside Granite Mountain Charter (4,393 students): Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18:1 vs 38.5:1).
Elite Acad Academy - Adult Work Force Investment District is a single-school charter district, so Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne 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 Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne compares
Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18:1 | ▼ 16% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.2% | ▲ 5% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 505 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
505
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% 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
18:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 21% in California - lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
8.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$10,008
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 505 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 60.2%
African American 18.2%
White 15.8%
Two or More 2.8%
Asian 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 60.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.8, Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Elite Acad Academy - Adult Work Force Investment District, which includes Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne.
$10,008
Per student
-39%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 6.9%
State 87.6%
Federal 5.5%
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 Lucerne Valley
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 (~505 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne's federal record.
- Compare Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne against another school. Compare schools
- Elite Acad Academy - Adult Work Force Investment 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 Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne
How many students attend Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne?
Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne has 505 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lucerne Valley, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne?
The student-teacher ratio at Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne is 18:1, which is 16% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 15% 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 Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne?
58.2% of students at Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne?
The largest demographic group at Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne is Hispanic or Latino at 60.2% of enrollment, in Lucerne Valley, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne?
Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne rank among public schools in Lucerne Valley?
By Resource Investment Index, Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Lucerne Valley, 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 Lucerne Valley on the city page.
Is Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne a good school?
Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% 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 Elite Acad Academy - Adult Work Force Investment District?
None; Elite Acad Academy - Adult Work Force Investment District is a single-school charter district, and Virtual Preparatory Academy at Lucerne 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.