Enrollment
29
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Colusa, CA
Colusa Alternative Home
Federal NCES profile for Colusa Alternative Home, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 060957004434
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 94
📋 Attendance 66
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Colusa Alternative Home earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of California schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in California.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Colusa · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 29:1
- large classes for California
- 64.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Colusa Alternative Home has class sizes larger than 94% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Colusa Alternative Home ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Colusa, CA.
School address
District: Colusa Unified · California
NCES ID 060957004434 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
1.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
29:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
+16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Colusa Alternative Home compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Colusa Alternative Home
Colusa Alternative Home is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Colusa, California, enrolling 29 students.
Class loads run heavy: 29:1 is larger than about 94% of California schools and 35% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 64.6% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 96% of California schools, with 29 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 113 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #39.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (55%) and White (31%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 29 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
13.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Colusa Unified spends $12,834 per pupil, 22% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Colusa Unified also operates George T. Egling Middle (553 students) and Colusa High (431 students) alongside Colusa Alternative Home.
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 Colusa Alternative Home compares
Colusa Alternative Home on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 29:1 | ▲ 35% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.6% | ▲ 16% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 29 | top 96% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
29:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
29
Bigger than 4% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% 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
29:1
students per teacher
- 35% above state mean
Top 94% in California - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
13.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$12,834
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 29 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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.
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 55.2%
White 31.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 10.3%
African American 3.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 55.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.7, Colusa Alternative Home is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Colusa Unified, which includes Colusa Alternative Home.
$12,834
Per student
-22%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.1%
State 67.5%
Federal 7.5%
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 Colusa Alternative Home Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| George T. Egling Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Colusa High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| James M. Burchfield Primary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Colusa Alternative High (Continuation) | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Colusa Alternative Home's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 553
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 431
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 430
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 27
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
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 (~29 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~29:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Colusa Alternative Home's federal record.
- Compare Colusa Alternative Home against another school. Compare schools
- Colusa 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 Colusa Alternative Home
How many students attend Colusa Alternative Home?
Colusa Alternative Home has 29 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Colusa, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Colusa Alternative Home?
The student-teacher ratio at Colusa Alternative Home is 29:1, which is 35% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 85% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Colusa Alternative Home?
64.6% of students at Colusa Alternative Home are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Colusa Alternative Home?
The largest demographic group at Colusa Alternative Home is Hispanic or Latino at 55.2% of enrollment, in Colusa, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Colusa Alternative Home?
Colusa Alternative Home has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Colusa Alternative Home rank among public schools in Colusa?
By Resource Investment Index, Colusa Alternative Home ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Colusa, 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 Colusa on the city page.
Is Colusa Alternative Home a good school?
Colusa Alternative Home earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% 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 Colusa Unified?
Besides Colusa Alternative Home, Colusa Unified also operates George T. Egling Middle (553 students), Colusa High (431 students), and James M. Burchfield Primary (430 students). See the Colusa 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.