Enrollment
167
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Willows, CA
Walden Academy
Federal NCES profile for Walden Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060242012983Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Walden Academy earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 89% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #2 of 6
- public schools in Willows · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.2:1
- small classes for California
- 54.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Walden Academy has class sizes smaller than 89% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Walden Academy ranks #2 of 6 public schools in Willows, CA.
School address
District: Walden Academy District · California
NCES ID 060242012983 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Walden Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Walden Academy
Walden Academy is a higher-need, small charter elementary school in Willows, California, enrolling 167 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 15.2:1, Walden Academy is leaner than roughly 89% of California schools and 29% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 54.7% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 167 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 403 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #95.
Its student body is led by White (40%) and Hispanic or Latino (38%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
16.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Walden Academy District spends $12,699 per pupil, 23% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Willows's elementary schools, it stands alongside Murdock Elementary (488 students): Walden Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.2:1 vs 17.4:1).
Walden Academy District is a single-school charter district, so Walden Academy 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 Walden Academy compares
Walden 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 | 15.2:1 | ▼ 29% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.7% | ▼ 1% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 167 | top 85% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
167
Bigger than 16% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% 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
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 29% below state mean
Top 11% in California - lower ratio than 89% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,699
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.4 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
White 40.1%
Hispanic or Latino 38.3%
Two or More 17.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.4%
Asian 1.8%
Largest group: White at 40.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.1, Walden Academy is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Walden Academy District, which includes Walden Academy.
$12,699
Per student
-23%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.7%
State 54.1%
Federal 17.2%
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.
Similar elementary schools in Willows
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~167 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Walden Academy's federal record.
- Compare Walden Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Walden Academy 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 Walden Academy
How many students attend Walden Academy?
Walden Academy has 167 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Willows, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Walden Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Walden Academy is 15.2:1, which is 29% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 3% lower 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 Walden Academy?
54.7% of students at Walden Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Walden Academy?
The largest demographic group at Walden Academy is White at 40.1% of enrollment, in Willows, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walden Academy?
Walden Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Walden Academy rank among public schools in Willows?
By Resource Investment Index, Walden Academy ranks #2 of 6 public schools in Willows, 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 Willows on the city page.
Is Walden Academy a good school?
Walden Academy earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 89% of California schools. It is also more 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 Walden Academy District?
None; Walden Academy District is a single-school charter district, and Walden Academy 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.