Enrollment
11
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Truckee, CA
Cold Stream Alternative
Federal NCES profile for Cold Stream Alternative, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 65/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 063877006175
👥 S:T ratio 89
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 77
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cold Stream Alternative earns 65/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of California schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in California.
- #1 of 7
- public schools in Truckee · Resource Index
- 65
- Resource Index · Higher
- 2.8:1
- small classes for California
- 42.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Cold Stream Alternative has class sizes smaller than 99% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cold Stream Alternative ranks #1 of 7 public schools in Truckee, CA.
School address
District: Tahoe-Truckee Unified · California
NCES ID 063877006175 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
4.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
2.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-87% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cold Stream Alternative compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cold Stream Alternative
Cold Stream Alternative is a small combined-grade school in Truckee, California, enrolling 11 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 2.8:1, Cold Stream Alternative is leaner than roughly 99% of California schools and 87% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 42.9% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 98% of California schools, with 11 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 98% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 40 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #6.
Its student body is led by White (55%) and Hispanic or Latino (46%) (diversity index 50/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Tahoe-Truckee Unified spends $20,636 per pupil, 25% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Tahoe-Truckee Unified also operates Tahoe Truckee High (907 students) and Alder Creek Middle (535 students) alongside Cold Stream Alternative.
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 Cold Stream Alternative compares
Cold Stream Alternative on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 2.8:1 | ▼ 87% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.9% | ▼ 23% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 11 | top 98% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
2.8:1
Leaner classes than 100% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
11
Bigger than 2% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% 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
2.8:1
students per teacher
- 87% below state mean
Top 1% in California - lower ratio than 100% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
9.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$20,636
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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
White 54.5%
Hispanic or Latino 45.5%
Largest group: White at 54.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.6, Cold Stream Alternative is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tahoe-Truckee Unified, which includes Cold Stream Alternative.
$20,636
Per student
+25%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 72.2%
State 22.4%
Federal 5.4%
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 Cold Stream Alternative Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tahoe Truckee High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alder Creek Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Truckee Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Glenshire Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Tahoe High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cold Stream Alternative's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 907
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 535
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 515
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 499
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 468
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
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 (~11 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cold Stream Alternative's federal record.
- Compare Cold Stream Alternative against another school. Compare schools
- Tahoe-Truckee 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 Cold Stream Alternative
How many students attend Cold Stream Alternative?
Cold Stream Alternative has 11 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Truckee, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cold Stream Alternative?
The student-teacher ratio at Cold Stream Alternative is 2.8:1, which is 87% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 82% 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 Cold Stream Alternative?
42.9% of students at Cold Stream Alternative are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cold Stream Alternative?
The largest demographic group at Cold Stream Alternative is White at 54.5% of enrollment, in Truckee, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cold Stream Alternative?
Cold Stream Alternative has a Resource Investment Index of 65/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cold Stream Alternative rank among public schools in Truckee?
By Resource Investment Index, Cold Stream Alternative ranks #1 of 7 public schools in Truckee, 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 Truckee on the city page.
Is Cold Stream Alternative a good school?
Cold Stream Alternative earns 65/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of California schools. It is also one of the smallest 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 Tahoe-Truckee Unified?
Besides Cold Stream Alternative, Tahoe-Truckee Unified also operates Tahoe Truckee High (907 students), Alder Creek Middle (535 students), and Truckee Elementary (515 students). See the Tahoe-Truckee 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.