Enrollment
834
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Vista, CA
Vista Innovation and Design Academy
Federal NCES profile for Vista Innovation and Design Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 064119006825
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 17
📋 Attendance 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vista Innovation and Design Academy earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #2 of 3
- middle schools in Vista · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.9:1
- students per teacher
- 43.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Vista Innovation and Design Academy has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vista Innovation and Design Academy ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Vista, CA.
School address
District: Vista Unified · California
NCES ID 064119006825 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vista Innovation and Design Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vista Innovation and Design Academy
Vista Innovation and Design Academy is a mid-sized middle school in Vista, California, enrolling 834 students.
At 20.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 43.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 834 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,077 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #646.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (56%) and White (31%) (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 417 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Vista's middle schools, it stands alongside Vista Magnet Middle School of Technology Science and Math (836 students): Vista Innovation and Design Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.9:1 vs 19.4:1).
Vista Unified also operates Rancho Buena Vista High (1,949 students) and Vista High (1,746 students) alongside Vista Innovation and Design 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 Vista Innovation and Design Academy compares
Vista Innovation and Design 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 | 20.9:1 | ▼ 3% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.5% | ▼ 22% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 834 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.9:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
834
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20.9:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 42% in California - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
25.4%
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
$15,274
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 417 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
30
in-school suspensions + 27 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.8 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 56.2%
White 31.4%
Two or More 7.8%
Asian 2.2%
African American 1.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 56.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.9, Vista Innovation and Design Academy is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Vista Unified, which includes Vista Innovation and Design Academy.
$15,274
Per student
-7%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.1%
State 53.6%
Federal 10.3%
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 Vista Innovation and Design Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rancho Buena Vista High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Vista High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mission Vista High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Madison Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Vista Innovation and Design Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,949
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 1,746
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,670
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,158
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 866
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
Similar middle schools in Vista
2 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~834 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vista Innovation and Design Academy's federal record.
- Compare Vista Innovation and Design Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Vista 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 Vista Innovation and Design Academy
How many students attend Vista Innovation and Design Academy?
Vista Innovation and Design Academy has 834 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Vista, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vista Innovation and Design Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Vista Innovation and Design Academy is 20.9:1, which is 3% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 33% 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 Vista Innovation and Design Academy?
43.5% of students at Vista Innovation and Design Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vista Innovation and Design Academy?
The largest demographic group at Vista Innovation and Design Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 56.2% of enrollment, in Vista, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vista Innovation and Design Academy?
Vista Innovation and Design Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (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 Vista Innovation and Design Academy rank among middle schools in Vista?
By Resource Investment Index, Vista Innovation and Design Academy ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Vista, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Vista on the city page.
Is Vista Innovation and Design Academy a good school?
Vista Innovation and Design Academy earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Vista Unified?
Besides Vista Innovation and Design Academy, Vista Unified also operates Rancho Buena Vista High (1,949 students), Vista High (1,746 students), and Mission Vista High (1,670 students). See the Vista 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.