Public schools in Petaluma, CA
Petaluma has 36 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 6 high, 3 middle, 25 elementary, 2 other, enrolling 11,209 students. They are run by 13 districts and agencies; Petaluma Joint Union High runs 10 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 13 districts and agencies that run Petaluma's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in Petaluma | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petaluma Joint Union High | 10 | 4,926 | not reported |
| Petaluma City Elementary | 6 | 2,158 | not reported |
| Old Adobe Union School District | 5 | 1,836 | $16,647 |
| Waugh Elementary | 2 | 775 | $14,235 |
| Dunham Elementary | 2 | 147 | $13,619 |
| Liberty Elementary | 2 | 217 | $22,101 |
| Cinnabar School District | 2 | 207 | $19,638 |
| Laguna Joint Elementary | 2 | 16 | $36,813 |
| Heartwood Charter District | 1 | 528 | $9,780 |
| Live Oak Charter District | 1 | 252 | $13,349 |
| Wilmar Union Elementary | 1 | 219 | $14,484 |
| River Montessori Elementary Charter District | 1 | 137 | $16,467 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: school location city and operating agency; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: district fall membership and current spending per student. Schools on a city's edge can serve students from outside it.
6 high schools in Petaluma, 2,994 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casa Grande High | 1,653 | 21.5 | 36.7% | Petaluma Joint Union High |
| Petaluma High | 1,193 | 20.9 | 28.2% | Petaluma Joint Union High |
| San Antonio High (Continuation) | 65 | 8.5 | 72.3% | Petaluma Joint Union High |
| Valley Oaks High (Alternative) | 43 | 8.0 | 39.5% | Petaluma Joint Union High |
| Sonoma Mountain High (Continuation) | 21 | 10.7 | 52.4% | Petaluma Joint Union High |
| Carpe Diem High (Continuation) | 19 | 9.5 | 31.6% | Petaluma Joint Union High |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
3 middle schools in Petaluma, 1,381 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenilworth Junior High | 812 | 20.7 | 32.5% | Petaluma Joint Union High |
| Petaluma Junior High | 454 | 19.1 | 30.0% | Petaluma Joint Union High |
| Petaluma Accelerated Charter | 115 | 25.3 | 22.6% | Petaluma Joint Union High |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
25 elementary schools in Petaluma, 5,966 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley | 494 | 26.2 | 15.4% | Petaluma Joint Union High |
| Loma Vista Immersion Academy | 451 | 24.5 | 36.8% | Old Adobe Union |
| Sonoma Mountain Elementary | 422 | 24.8 | 14.0% | Old Adobe Union |
| Corona Creek Elementary | 403 | 22.0 | 14.4% | Waugh Elementary |
| Grant Elementary | 386 | 24.1 | 11.9% | Petaluma City Elementary |
| Meadow Elementary | 384 | 22.1 | 12.8% | Waugh Elementary |
| McKinley Elementary | 368 | 24.5 | 39.7% | Petaluma City Elementary |
| McNear Elementary | 343 | 22.9 | 20.4% | Petaluma City Elementary |
| McDowell Elementary | 329 | 23.5 | 69.6% | Petaluma City Elementary |
| La Tercera Elementary | 295 | 23.6 | 31.2% | Old Adobe Union |
The other 15 elementary schools
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miwok Valley Elementary Charter | 288 | 20.6 | 57.3% | Old Adobe Union |
| Old Adobe Elementary Charter | 278 | 25.3 | 30.9% | Old Adobe Union |
| Live Oak Charter | 271 | 21.7 | 22.1% | Live Oak Charter District |
| Wilson Elementary | 235 | 23.5 | 19.1% | Wilmar Union Elementary |
| Dunham Charter | 166 | 21.6 | 24.7% | Dunham Elementary |
| Liberty Elementary | 162 | 23.1 | 17.9% | Liberty Elementary |
| Cinnabar Charter | 156 | 16.4 | 64.1% | Cinnabar |
| Valley Vista Elementary | 155 | 19.4 | 57.4% | Petaluma City Elementary |
| River Montessori Elementary Charter | 144 | 24.1 | 20.1% | River Montessori Elementary Charter District |
| Two Rock Elementary | 135 | 19.3 | 28.9% | Two Rock Union |
| Liberty Primary | 56 | 19.6 | 16.1% | Liberty Elementary |
| Cinnabar Elementary | 20 | 20.0 | 40.0% | Cinnabar |
| Dunham Elementary | 9 | 30.0 | 33.3% | Dunham Elementary |
| Laguna Elementary | 9 | 9.0 | 33.3% | Laguna Joint Elementary |
| Lincoln Union | 7 | 7.0 | not reported | Laguna Joint Elementary |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
2 other schools in Petaluma, 868 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heartwood Charter | 739 | 32.6 | 30.0% | Heartwood Charter District |
| South County Consortium | 129 | 9.9 | 39.5% | Petaluma City Elementary |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
How Petaluma's public schools compare with California's
The median Petaluma school has 21.7 students per full-time teacher, about the same as the California median of 21.6. Its median school enrolls 253 students (state 471).
| Petaluma | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 21.7 | 21.6 |
| Median school size (students) | 253 | 471 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | not reported | not reported |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 0% | 74% |
| Charter schools | 33% | 13% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 36 Petaluma schools and the 9,918 California schools open that year with students); Title I status CCD 2021-22. Students per teacher counts 2024-25 teachers and ratios from 3 to 99.
What to look at next in Petaluma
- Petaluma Joint Union HighRuns 10 of Petaluma's 36 public schools.
- Casa Grande High, the largest high school in Petaluma1,653 students in 2024-25, 21.5 per teacher.1,653
- Compare Petaluma Joint Union High with Petaluma City ElementaryPetaluma's two largest operators side by side: enrollment, spending and schools.
- The largest public schools in CaliforniaCalifornia's 50 largest schools open in 2024-25, by enrollment.
- Find the school district for a Petaluma addressA home's district, not its city, decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools and their operating agencies); NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student).
Choosing among them: how to choose a school district with the federal data, and what a Title I school is.
Other cities in California
- Los Angeles564 schools
- San Diego283 schools
- San Jose232 schools
- Sacramento197 schools
- Fresno179 schools
- Bakersfield146 schools
- San Francisco123 schools
- Stockton122 schools
Questions about schools in Petaluma
How many public schools are in Petaluma, CA?
36 public schools with an address in Petaluma were open in 2024-25: 6 high, 3 middle, 25 elementary, 2 other, enrolling 11,209 students. 12 are charter schools.What is the largest high school in Petaluma?
Casa Grande High, with 1,653 students in 2024-25 (Petaluma Joint Union High).Which districts run Petaluma's schools?
Petaluma Joint Union High (10 schools), Petaluma City Elementary (6 schools), Old Adobe Union School District (5 schools), Waugh Elementary (2 schools), and 9 more. A school's district, not its city, decides who can enroll.
These figures are for information and are not a substitute for the district's enrollment office, which confirms the school a home is assigned to.
Sources
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25
Source: NCES Common Core of Data Public school search (the official record of each school) · 2024-25