Enrollment
1,514
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Riverside, CA
La Sierra High
Federal NCES profile for La Sierra High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 060243000134
👥 S:T ratio 21
📚 AP courses 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 5
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
La Sierra High earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #12 of 14
- high schools in Riverside · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.7:1
- students per teacher
- 69.4%
- free-lunch eligible
La Sierra High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, La Sierra High ranks #12 of 14 high schools in Riverside, CA.
School address
District: Alvord Unified · California
NCES ID 060243000134 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
77.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
+25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How La Sierra High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at La Sierra High
La Sierra High is a higher-need, large high school in Riverside, California, enrolling 1,514 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 69.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,514 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 399 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #182.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 12 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 379 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Riverside's high schools, it stands alongside Martin Luther King Jr. High (2,699 students): La Sierra High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.7:1 vs 23.7:1).
Alvord Unified also operates Norte Vista High (1,804 students) and Hillcrest High (1,780 students) alongside La Sierra 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 La Sierra High compares
La Sierra 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 | 19.7:1 | ▼ 8% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.4% | ▲ 25% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,514 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.7:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,514
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
69.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% 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
19.7:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 33% in California - lower ratio than 67% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
37.9%
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
$16,058
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 379 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 70 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.6 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
Hispanic or Latino 82.0%
White 6.9%
Asian 4.8%
African American 4.6%
Two or More 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 82.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.8, La Sierra High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 12
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alvord Unified, which includes La Sierra High.
$16,058
Per student
-3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.5%
State 65.0%
Federal 15.5%
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 La Sierra High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norte Vista High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hillcrest High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ysmael Villegas Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Loma Vista Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Arizona Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to La Sierra High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,804
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,780
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,136
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,027
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 804
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar high schools in Riverside
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Martin Luther King Jr. High
Standard public school
2,699 students 23.7:1 students per teacher
Polytechnic High
Standard public school
2,484 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Ramona High
Standard public school
2,142 students 23:1 students per teacher
John W. North High
Standard public school
2,011 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Arlington High
Standard public school
1,920 students 24.3:1 students per teacher
Norte Vista High
Standard public school
1,804 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
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 (~1,514 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on La Sierra High's federal record.
- Compare La Sierra High against another school. Compare schools
- Alvord 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 La Sierra High
How many students attend La Sierra High?
La Sierra High has 1,514 students enrolled. It is a high school in Riverside, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at La Sierra High?
The student-teacher ratio at La Sierra High is 19.7:1, which is 8% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 25% higher 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 La Sierra High?
69.4% of students at La Sierra High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of La Sierra High?
The largest demographic group at La Sierra High is Hispanic or Latino at 82.0% of enrollment, in Riverside, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for La Sierra High?
La Sierra High has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 La Sierra High rank among high schools in Riverside?
By Resource Investment Index, La Sierra High ranks #12 of 14 high schools in Riverside, 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 Riverside on the city page.
Is La Sierra High a good school?
La Sierra High earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Alvord Unified?
Besides La Sierra High, Alvord Unified also operates Norte Vista High (1,804 students), Hillcrest High (1,780 students), and Ysmael Villegas Middle (1,136 students). See the Alvord 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.