Enrollment
1,980
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Santa Clarita, CA
Golden Valley High
Federal NCES profile for Golden Valley High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 064251010912
👥 S:T ratio 12
📚 AP courses 95
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Golden Valley High earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in Santa Clarita · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22:1
- students per teacher
- 38.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Golden Valley High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Golden Valley High ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Santa Clarita, CA.
School address
District: William S. Hart Union High · California
NCES ID 064251010912 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
90.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Golden Valley High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Golden Valley High
Golden Valley High is a large high school in Santa Clarita, California, enrolling 1,980 students.
At 22:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 38.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,980 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 301 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #165.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (57%) and White (20%) (diversity index 62/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 19 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 330 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Santa Clarita's high schools, it stands alongside Academy of the Canyons (385 students): Golden Valley High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22:1 vs 27.5:1).
William S. Hart Union High also operates Saugus High (2,317 students) and Valencia High (2,286 students) alongside Golden 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 Golden Valley High compares
Golden 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 | 22:1 | ▲ 2% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.5% | ▼ 31% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,980 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,980
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
22:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 53% in California - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
20.8%
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
$14,012
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 330 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 67 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 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 56.7%
White 19.7%
Asian 11.5%
African American 9.1%
Two or More 2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 56.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.7, Golden Valley High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 19
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for William S. Hart Union High, which includes Golden Valley High.
$14,012
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.8%
State 59.6%
Federal 11.6%
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 Golden Valley High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saugus High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valencia High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Canyon High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| William S. Hart High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Ranch High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Golden Valley High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,317
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,286
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,952
- Students per teacher
- 23.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,941
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,777
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar high schools in Santa Clarita
2 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 (~1,980 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Golden Valley High's federal record.
- Compare Golden Valley High against another school. Compare schools
- William S. Hart Union High'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 Golden Valley High
How many students attend Golden Valley High?
Golden Valley High has 1,980 students enrolled. It is a high school in Santa Clarita, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Golden Valley High?
The student-teacher ratio at Golden Valley High is 22:1, which is 2% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 40% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Golden Valley High?
38.5% of students at Golden Valley High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Golden Valley High?
The largest demographic group at Golden Valley High is Hispanic or Latino at 56.7% of enrollment, in Santa Clarita, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Golden Valley High?
Golden Valley High has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical 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 Golden Valley High rank among high schools in Santa Clarita?
By Resource Investment Index, Golden Valley High ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Santa Clarita, 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 Santa Clarita on the city page.
Is Golden Valley High a good school?
Golden Valley High earns 44/100 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 William S. Hart Union High?
Besides Golden Valley High, William S. Hart Union High also operates Saugus High (2,317 students), Valencia High (2,286 students), and Canyon High (1,952 students). See the William S. Hart Union High 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.