Enrollment
251
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Vista, CA
Vista Springs Charter
Federal NCES profile for Vista Springs Charter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 060146314373Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vista Springs Charter earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of California schools.
- #3 of 4
- schools in Vista · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 27.9:1
- large classes for California
- 56.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Vista Springs Charter has class sizes larger than 92% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vista Springs Charter ranks #3 of 4 schools in Vista, CA.
School address
District: Vista Springs Charter District · California
NCES ID 060146314373 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
9.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
+2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vista Springs Charter compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vista Springs Charter
Vista Springs Charter is a higher-need, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Vista, California, enrolling 251 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.9:1 is larger than about 92% of California schools and 30% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 56.5% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 251 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.
Against 760 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #505.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (74%) and White (16%) (diversity index 42/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 502 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
12.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Vista Springs Charter District spends $12,664 per pupil, 23% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Vista's public schools, it stands alongside Guajome Park Academy Charter (1,355 students): Vista Springs Charter is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (27.9:1 vs 18.1:1).
Vista Springs Charter District is a single-school charter district, so Vista Springs Charter 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 Vista Springs Charter compares
Vista Springs Charter on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 27.9:1 | ▲ 30% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.5% | ▲ 2% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 251 | top 79% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.9:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
251
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% 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
27.9:1
students per teacher
- 30% above state mean
Top 92% in California - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
12.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$12,664
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 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 74.1%
White 15.9%
Two or More 6.0%
African American 2.4%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 74.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.1, Vista Springs Charter is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Vista Springs Charter District, which includes Vista Springs Charter.
$12,664
Per student
-23%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 5.3%
State 84.8%
Federal 9.9%
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 Vista
3 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 (~251 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vista Springs Charter's federal record.
- Compare Vista Springs Charter against another school. Compare schools
- Vista Springs Charter 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 Vista Springs Charter
How many students attend Vista Springs Charter?
Vista Springs Charter has 251 students enrolled. It is a public school in Vista, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vista Springs Charter?
The student-teacher ratio at Vista Springs Charter is 27.9:1, which is 30% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 78% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Vista Springs Charter?
56.5% of students at Vista Springs Charter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vista Springs Charter?
The largest demographic group at Vista Springs Charter is Hispanic or Latino at 74.1% of enrollment, in Vista, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vista Springs Charter?
Vista Springs Charter 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 Springs Charter rank among schools in Vista?
By Resource Investment Index, Vista Springs Charter ranks #3 of 4 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 schools in Vista on the city page.
Is Vista Springs Charter a good school?
Vista Springs Charter earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% 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 Vista Springs Charter District?
None; Vista Springs Charter District is a single-school charter district, and Vista Springs Charter is its only campus.
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.