Enrollment
494
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Petaluma, CA
Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley
Federal NCES profile for Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063025004716Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 41
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of California schools.
- #11 of 25
- elementary schools in Petaluma · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 29.1:1
- large classes for California
- 17.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley has class sizes larger than 95% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley ranks #11 of 25 elementary schools in Petaluma, CA.
School address
District: Petaluma Joint Union High · California
NCES ID 063025004716 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
29.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
17.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley
Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley is a lower-poverty, mid-sized charter elementary school in Petaluma, California, enrolling 494 students.
Class loads run heavy: 29.1:1 is larger than about 95% of California schools and 35% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 17.3% free-meal eligibility runs 69% below the California average.
With 494 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,163 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #485.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Two or More (12%) (diversity index 43/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Petaluma's elementary schools, it stands alongside Loma Vista Immersion Academy (451 students): Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (29.1:1 vs 22.6:1).
Petaluma Joint Union High also operates Casa Grande High (1,653 students) and Petaluma High (1,193 students) alongside Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley.
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 Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley compares
Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 29.1:1 | ▲ 35% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 17.3% | ▼ 69% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 494 | top 46% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
29.1:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
494
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
17.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 69% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
29.1:1
students per teacher
- 35% above state mean
Top 95% in California - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
23.7%
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.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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
White 73.3%
Two or More 12.4%
Hispanic or Latino 12.0%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
African American 0.2%
Largest group: White at 73.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.3, Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
How Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casa Grande High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Petaluma High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kenilworth Junior High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Petaluma Junior High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Petaluma Accelerated Charter | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,653
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,193
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 812
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 454
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 115
- Students per teacher
- 28.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar elementary schools in Petaluma
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Loma Vista Immersion Academy
Standard public school
451 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Sonoma Mountain Elementary
Standard public school
422 students 26.4:1 students per teacher
Corona Creek Elementary
Standard public school
403 students 22.4:1 students per teacher
Grant Elementary
Standard public school
386 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Meadow Elementary
Standard public school
384 students 24:1 students per teacher
Mckinley Elementary
Standard public school
368 students 24.5:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~494 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~29.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley's federal record.
- Compare Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley against another school. Compare schools
- Petaluma Joint 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 Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley
How many students attend Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley?
Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley has 494 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Petaluma, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley?
The student-teacher ratio at Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley is 29.1:1, 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 Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley?
17.3% of students at Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley?
The largest demographic group at Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley is White at 73.3% of enrollment, in Petaluma, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley?
Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley rank among elementary schools in Petaluma?
By Resource Investment Index, Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley ranks #11 of 25 elementary schools in Petaluma, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Petaluma on the city page.
Is Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley a good school?
Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of California schools. 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 Petaluma Joint Union High?
Besides Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley, Petaluma Joint Union High also operates Casa Grande High (1,653 students), Petaluma High (1,193 students), and Kenilworth Junior High (812 students). See the Petaluma Joint 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.