Enrollment
14
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Mendocino, CA
Mendocino Alternative
Federal NCES profile for Mendocino Alternative, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 062448004624
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mendocino Alternative earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. It is also one of the smallest schools in California.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Mendocino · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 57.1%
- free-lunch eligible
- 14
- students enrolled
By Resource Investment Index, Mendocino Alternative ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Mendocino, CA.
School address
District: Mendocino Unified · California
NCES ID 062448004624 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Free-lunch eligible
57.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
+3% vs state
What stands out at Mendocino Alternative
Mendocino Alternative is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Mendocino, California, enrolling 14 students.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 57.1% 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 98% of California schools, with 14 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 59 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #47, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
The surrounding Mendocino Unified spends $27,577 per pupil, 67% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Mendocino Unified also operates Mendocino K-8 (241 students) and Mendocino High (165 students) alongside Mendocino 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 Mendocino Alternative compares
Mendocino Alternative on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.1% | ▲ 3% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 14 | top 98% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14
Bigger than 2% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Funding equity
$27,577
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.
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.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mendocino Unified, which includes Mendocino Alternative.
$27,577
Per student
+67%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+66%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 73.3%
State 22.2%
Federal 4.5%
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 Mendocino Alternative Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mendocino K-8 | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Mendocino High | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Albion Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | No ratio data |
| Comptche Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | No ratio data |
| Mendocino Sunrise High | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Mendocino Alternative's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 241
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 165
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 13
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 9
- Students per teacher
- 9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 7
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 30/100
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.
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mendocino Alternative's federal record.
- Compare Mendocino Alternative against another school. Compare schools
- Mendocino 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 Mendocino Alternative
How many students attend Mendocino Alternative?
Mendocino Alternative has 14 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Mendocino, CA.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mendocino Alternative?
57.1% of students at Mendocino Alternative are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mendocino Alternative?
Mendocino Alternative has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Mendocino Alternative rank among public schools in Mendocino?
By Resource Investment Index, Mendocino Alternative ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Mendocino, 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 Mendocino on the city page.
Is Mendocino Alternative a good school?
Mendocino Alternative earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. 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 Mendocino Unified?
Besides Mendocino Alternative, Mendocino Unified also operates Mendocino K-8 (241 students), Mendocino High (165 students), and Albion Elementary (13 students). See the Mendocino 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.