Enrollment
2,317
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Ceres, CA
Central Valley High
Federal NCES profile for Central Valley High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 060813011489
👥 S:T ratio 6
📚 AP courses 70
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 12
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Valley High earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #4 of 4
- high schools in Ceres · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.4:1
- students per teacher
- 74.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Valley High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Valley High ranks #4 of 4 high schools in Ceres, CA.
School address
District: Ceres Unified · California
NCES ID 060813011489 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
99.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Valley High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Valley High
Central Valley High is a higher-need, large high school in Ceres, California, enrolling 2,317 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.4:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 74.8% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 98% of state schools at 2,317 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 222 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #211, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 14 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 463 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 29 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Ceres's high schools, it stands alongside Ceres High (1,660 students): Central Valley High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.4:1 vs 22.4:1).
Ceres Unified also operates Ceres High (1,660 students) and Cesar Chavez Junior High (685 students) alongside Central Valley High.
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 Central Valley High compares
Central Valley High on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 23.4:1 | ▲ 9% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.8% | ▲ 35% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,317 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.4:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,317
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% 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
23.4:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 66% in California - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
35.3%
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
$16,252
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 463 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 81 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 29 expulsions.
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 84.3%
White 7.3%
Asian 6.4%
African American 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Two or More 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 84.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.0, Central Valley High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 14
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ceres Unified, which includes Central Valley High.
$16,252
Per student
-2%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.4%
State 74.5%
Federal 11.1%
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 Central Valley High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceres High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cesar Chavez Junior High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lucas Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Caswell Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Virginia Parks Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Valley High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,660
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 685
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 668
- Students per teacher
- 26.7:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 653
- Students per teacher
- 26.1:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 643
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
Similar high schools in Ceres
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~2,317 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Valley High's federal record.
- Compare Central Valley High against another school. Compare schools
- Ceres 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 Central Valley High
How many students attend Central Valley High?
Central Valley High has 2,317 students enrolled. It is a high school in Ceres, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Valley High?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Valley High is 23.4:1, which is 9% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 49% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Valley High?
74.8% of students at Central Valley High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Valley High?
The largest demographic group at Central Valley High is Hispanic or Latino at 84.3% of enrollment, in Ceres, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Valley High?
Central Valley High has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Central Valley High rank among high schools in Ceres?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Valley High ranks #4 of 4 high schools in Ceres, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Ceres on the city page.
Is Central Valley High a good school?
Central Valley High earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California. 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 Ceres Unified?
Besides Central Valley High, Ceres Unified also operates Ceres High (1,660 students), Cesar Chavez Junior High (685 students), and Lucas Elementary (668 students). See the Ceres 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.