Enrollment
274
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Salinas, CA
Monterey County Special Education
Federal NCES profile for Monterey County Special Education, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 069102107551
👥 S:T ratio 72
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Monterey County Special Education earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #3 of 7
- schools in Salinas · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 7:1
- small classes for California
- 45.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Monterey County Special Education has class sizes smaller than 98% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Monterey County Special Education ranks #3 of 7 schools in Salinas, CA.
School address
District: Monterey County Office of Education · California
NCES ID 069102107551 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-67% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Monterey County Special Education compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Monterey County Special Education
Monterey County Special Education is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Salinas, California, enrolling 274 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7:1, Monterey County Special Education is leaner than roughly 98% of California schools and 67% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 45.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 274 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 700 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #242.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (89% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 21/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 78.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Salinas's public schools, it stands alongside El Puente (326 students): Monterey County Special Education is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (7:1 vs 18.1:1).
Monterey County Office of Education also operates Monterey County Home Charter (255 students) and Salinas Community (101 students) alongside Monterey County Special Education.
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 Monterey County Special Education compares
Monterey County Special Education on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 7:1 | ▼ 67% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.7% | ▼ 18% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 274 | top 77% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7:1
Leaner classes than 97% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
274
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
7:1
students per teacher
- 67% below state mean
Top 2% in California - lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
78.8%
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.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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 88.7%
White 4.4%
Two or More 3.3%
Asian 1.8%
African American 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 88.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.0, Monterey County Special Education is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
How Monterey County Special Education Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monterey County Home Charter | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Salinas Community | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wellington M. Smith Jr. | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Monterey County Special Education's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 255
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 101
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 50
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar other schools in Salinas
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
El Puente
Alternative education program
326 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Monterey County Home Charter
Standard public school
255 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Salinas Community
Alternative education program
101 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
North Monterey County Center for Independent Study
Alternative education program
96 students 16:1 students per teacher
Wellington M. Smith Jr.
Alternative education program
50 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Carr Lake Community Day
Alternative education program
18 students 18:1 students per teacher
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 (~274 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Monterey County Special Education's federal record.
- Compare Monterey County Special Education against another school. Compare schools
- Monterey County Office of Education'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 Monterey County Special Education
How many students attend Monterey County Special Education?
Monterey County Special Education has 274 students enrolled. It is a special-education school in Salinas, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Monterey County Special Education?
The student-teacher ratio at Monterey County Special Education is 7:1, which is 67% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 55% lower 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 Monterey County Special Education?
45.7% of students at Monterey County Special Education are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Monterey County Special Education?
The largest demographic group at Monterey County Special Education is Hispanic or Latino at 88.7% of enrollment, in Salinas, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Monterey County Special Education?
Monterey County Special Education has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Monterey County Special Education rank among schools in Salinas?
By Resource Investment Index, Monterey County Special Education ranks #3 of 7 schools in Salinas, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Salinas on the city page.
Is Monterey County Special Education a good school?
Monterey County Special Education earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Monterey County Office of Education?
Besides Monterey County Special Education, Monterey County Office of Education also operates Monterey County Home Charter (255 students), Salinas Community (101 students), and Wellington M. Smith Jr. (50 students). See the Monterey County Office of Education 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.