Public schools in Lancaster, CA
46 open public schools with an address in Lancaster, operated by 10 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
46
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
34,110
45 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
23.6:1
California median 21.6:1
Charter schools
5
1 virtual
An overview of Lancaster public schools
The federal directory lists 46 public schools in Lancaster, CA: 26 elementary, 9 middle, 10 high, 1 combined or other. The 45 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 34,110 students, an average of 758 per school. The largest campus is Assurance Learning Academy (3,014 students), and the largest elementary school is Sundown Elementary (941).
Lancaster Elementary operates the most schools here (23), and 5 regular districts have at least one Lancaster campus, plus 5 charter, service, or other agencies. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 23.6:1, higher than the statewide school median of 21.6:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
School choice options include 5 charter schools, 1 virtual school. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 10 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 4 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 6 of 10 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 80% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Lancaster
Lancaster Elementary
Public school district
23 schools in Lancaster
Antelope Valley Union High
Public school district
6 schools in Lancaster · 13 total
Eastside Union Elementary
Public school district
6 schools in Lancaster
Westside Union Elementary
Public school district
4 schools in Lancaster · 12 total
Wilsona Elementary
Public school district
2 schools in Lancaster · 3 total
Assurance Learning Academy District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Lancaster
Desert Sands Charter District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Lancaster
Empower Generations District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Lancaster
iLEAD Lancaster Charter District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Lancaster
Mission Academy District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Lancaster
Elementary schools in Lancaster
26| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Elementary Eastside Union Elementary | KG–06 | 620 | 22.1:1 | |
| Del Sur Senior Elementary Westside Union Elementary | KG–08 | 763 | 27.2:1 | |
| Desert View Elementary Lancaster Elementary | KG–06 | 688 | 22.9:1 | |
| Discovery Lancaster Elementary | KG–05 | 662 | 24.5:1 | |
| Eastside Academy/Transitional Learning Center Eastside Union Elementary · Alternative School | KG–08 | 10 | 11:1 | |
| Eastside Elementary Eastside Union Elementary | KG–06 | 423 | 23.5:1 | |
| El Dorado Elementary Lancaster Elementary | KG–05 | 766 | 26.4:1 | |
| Enterprise Elementary Eastside Union Elementary | KG–06 | 646 | 22.7:1 | |
| iLEAD Lancaster Charter iLEAD Lancaster Charter District · Charter | KG–08 | 771 | 24.4:1 | |
| Jack Northrop Elementary Lancaster Elementary | KG–05 | 645 | 24.8:1 | |
| John and Jacquelyn Miller K-8 Lancaster Elementary | KG–08 | 697 | 25.8:1 | |
| Joshua Elementary Lancaster Elementary | KG–06 | 688 | 22.2:1 | |
| Lancaster Alternative and Virtual Academies Lancaster Elementary · Alternative School | KG–08 | 282 | 25.5:1 | |
| Lincoln Elementary Lancaster Elementary | KG–05 | 738 | 27.3:1 | |
| Linda Verde Dual Language Immersion Lancaster Elementary | KG–08 | 680 | 22:1 | |
| Mariposa Elementary Lancaster Elementary | KG–07 | 732 | 25.2:1 | |
| Monte Vista Elementary Lancaster Elementary | KG–05 | 788 | 25.4:1 | |
| Nancy Cory Elementary Lancaster Elementary | KG–05 | 728 | 26:1 | |
| Promise Academy Lancaster Elementary · Special Education School | KG–08 | 45 | 6.3:1 | |
| Sierra Elementary Lancaster Elementary | KG–05 | 707 | 23.6:1 | |
| Sundown Elementary Westside Union Elementary | KG–06 | 941 | 26.9:1 | |
| Sunnydale Elementary Lancaster Elementary | KG–07 | 469 | 21.3:1 | |
| Tierra Bonita Elementary Eastside Union Elementary | KG–06 | 636 | 22.7:1 | |
| Valley View Elementary Westside Union Elementary | KG–06 | 659 | 25.3:1 | |
| West Wind Elementary Lancaster Elementary | KG–05 | 757 | 26.1:1 | |
| Wilsona Elementary Wilsona Elementary | 03–05 | 403 | 23.6:1 |
Middle schools in Lancaster
9| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amargosa Creek Middle Lancaster Elementary | 06–08 | 859 | 18.5:1 | |
| Challenger Middle Wilsona Elementary | 06–08 | 403 | 21.2:1 | |
| Endeavour Middle Lancaster Elementary | 06–08 | 805 | 20.4:1 | |
| Fulton and Alsbury Academy of Arts and Engineering Lancaster Elementary | 06–08 | 414 | 31.9:1 | |
| Gifford C. Cole Middle Eastside Union Elementary | 07–08 | 697 | 21.3:1 | |
| Joe Walker Middle Westside Union Elementary | 06–08 | 781 | 23.8:1 | |
| New Vista Middle Lancaster Elementary | 06–08 | 835 | 18.1:1 | |
| Piute Middle Lancaster Elementary | 06–08 | 729 | 17.5:1 | |
| RISE Lancaster Elementary · Alternative School | 04–08 | 16 | 5.3:1 |
High schools in Lancaster
10| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antelope Valley High Antelope Valley Union High | 09–12 | 1,498 | 21.6:1 | |
| Assurance Learning Academy Assurance Learning Academy District · Charter | 09–12 | 3,014 | 26.1:1 | |
| Desert Sands Charter Desert Sands Charter District · Charter | 08–12 | 727 | — | |
| Desert Winds Continuation High Antelope Valley Union High · Alternative School | 09–12 | 605 | 21.8:1 | |
| Eastside High Antelope Valley Union High | 09–12 | 2,631 | 25.1:1 | |
| Empower Generations Empower Generations District · Charter | 09–12 | 81 | 36.5:1 | |
| Lancaster High Antelope Valley Union High | 09–12 | 2,688 | 25.1:1 | |
| Mission Academy Mission Academy District · Charter · Virtual | 06–12 | 694 | 20.2:1 | |
| Phoenix High Community Day Antelope Valley Union High · Alternative School | 09–12 | 19 | 3.3:1 | |
| SOAR High (Students On Academic Rise) Antelope Valley Union High · Alternative School | 09–12 | 670 | 26.7:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Lancaster
1| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Learning Lancaster Elementary | Not reported | — | — |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White8.7%
- Hispanic62.5%
- Black21.4%
- Asian1.7%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.4%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.2%
- Multiracial5%
Enrollment-weighted across 45 Lancaster schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (34,110 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Lancaster
How many public schools are in Lancaster, CA?
The current NCES directory lists 46 open public schools with a location address in Lancaster: 26 elementary, 9 middle, 10 high, 1 combined or other. Together they reported 34,110 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Lancaster?
Schools with an address in Lancaster belong to 10 education agencies, led by Lancaster Elementary (23 schools), Antelope Valley Union High (6 schools), Eastside Union Elementary (6 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Lancaster?
Assurance Learning Academy reported the largest high-school enrollment in Lancaster, with 3,014 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Lancaster?
Yes. 5 of the 46 public schools in Lancaster are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Assurance Learning Academy, Desert Sands Charter, Empower Generations. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Lancaster schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Lancaster public schools is 23.6:1, higher than the California school median of 21.6:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Lancaster guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby California cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All California cities