Enrollment
412
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Pine Valley, CA
Mountain Empire High
Federal NCES profile for Mountain Empire High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 062610003906
👥 S:T ratio 22
📚 AP courses 5
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mountain Empire High earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in Pine Valley · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.6:1
- students per teacher
- 44.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Mountain Empire High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mountain Empire High ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Pine Valley, CA.
School address
District: Mountain Empire Unified · California
NCES ID 062610003906 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
-20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mountain Empire High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mountain Empire High
Mountain Empire High is a mid-sized high school in Pine Valley, California, enrolling 412 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 44.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 412 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,244 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #615.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (63%) and White (30%) (diversity index 51/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 1 Advanced Placement course.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 206 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 58.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Pine Valley's high schools, it stands alongside Campo High (Continuation) (13 students): Mountain Empire High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.6:1 vs 13:1).
Mountain Empire Unified also operates Campo Elementary (359 students) and Potrero Elementary (300 students) alongside Mountain Empire 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 Mountain Empire High compares
Mountain Empire 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 | 19.6:1 | ▼ 9% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.6% | ▼ 20% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 412 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
412
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% 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
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 32% in California - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
58.5%
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
$17,631
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 206 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.3 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 63.3%
White 30.1%
Two or More 3.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.7%
African American 1.5%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 63.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.7, Mountain Empire High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mountain Empire Unified, which includes Mountain Empire High.
$17,631
Per student
+7%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.0%
State 53.7%
Federal 15.4%
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 Mountain Empire High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campo Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Potrero Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Camp Lockett Middle | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clover Flat Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Descanso Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mountain Empire High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 359
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 300
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 245
- Students per teacher
- 40.8:1
- Resource Index
- 11/100
- Enrollment
- 190
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 188
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar high schools in Pine Valley
1 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 (~412 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mountain Empire High's federal record.
- Compare Mountain Empire High against another school. Compare schools
- Mountain Empire 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 Mountain Empire High
How many students attend Mountain Empire High?
Mountain Empire High has 412 students enrolled. It is a high school in Pine Valley, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mountain Empire High?
The student-teacher ratio at Mountain Empire High is 19.6:1, which is 9% 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 Mountain Empire High?
44.6% of students at Mountain Empire High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mountain Empire High?
The largest demographic group at Mountain Empire High is Hispanic or Latino at 63.3% of enrollment, in Pine Valley, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mountain Empire High?
Mountain Empire High has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (lower 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 Mountain Empire High rank among public schools in Pine Valley?
By Resource Investment Index, Mountain Empire High ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Pine Valley, 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 Pine Valley on the city page.
Is Mountain Empire High a good school?
Mountain Empire High earns 23/100 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 Mountain Empire Unified?
Besides Mountain Empire High, Mountain Empire Unified also operates Campo Elementary (359 students), Potrero Elementary (300 students), and Camp Lockett Middle (245 students). See the Mountain Empire 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.