Enrollment
138
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Modesto, CA
Petersen Alternative Center for Education
Federal NCES profile for Petersen Alternative Center for Education, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 069104107887
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 72
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Petersen Alternative Center for Education earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of California schools.
- #5 of 6
- schools in Modesto · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 27.6:1
- large classes for California
- 86.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Petersen Alternative Center for Education has class sizes larger than 91% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Petersen Alternative Center for Education ranks #5 of 6 schools in Modesto, CA.
School address
District: Stanislaus County Office of Education · California
NCES ID 069104107887 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
86.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+56% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Petersen Alternative Center for Education compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Petersen Alternative Center for Education
Petersen Alternative Center for Education is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Modesto, California, enrolling 138 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.6:1 is larger than about 91% of California schools and 28% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 86.7% of students qualify for free meals, 56% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 138 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 257 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #196, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (77%) and White (17%) (diversity index 38/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 138 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 76.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 22.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Modesto's public schools, it stands alongside Connecting Waters Charter School - Central Valley (776 students): Petersen Alternative Center for Education is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (27.6:1 vs 15.8:1).
Stanislaus County Office of Education also operates Stanislaus County Special Education (462 students) and Stanislaus Military Academy at Teel (125 students) alongside Petersen Alternative Center for 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 Petersen Alternative Center for Education compares
Petersen Alternative Center for 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 | 27.6:1 | ▲ 28% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 86.7% | ▲ 56% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 138 | top 87% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.6:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
138
Bigger than 13% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
86.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 56% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
27.6:1
students per teacher
- 28% above state mean
Top 91% in California - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
76.8%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 138 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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: 1.4 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 76.6%
White 16.8%
African American 3.6%
Two or More 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 76.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.3, Petersen Alternative Center for Education is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
How Petersen Alternative Center for Education Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanislaus County Special Education | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Stanislaus Military Academy at Teel | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John B Allard | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Stanislaus County West Campus | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Petersen Alternative Center for Education's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 462
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 125
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 112
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 56
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar other schools in Modesto
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Connecting Waters Charter School - Central Valley
Standard public school
776 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy
Standard public school
617 students 32.5:1 students per teacher
Stanislaus County Special Education
Special-education school
462 students 11:1 students per teacher
Hart-Ransom Academic Charter
Standard public school
436 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Stanislaus County West Campus
Alternative education program
56 students 14:1 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 (~138 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Petersen Alternative Center for Education's federal record.
- Compare Petersen Alternative Center for Education against another school. Compare schools
- Stanislaus 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 Petersen Alternative Center for Education
How many students attend Petersen Alternative Center for Education?
Petersen Alternative Center for Education has 138 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Modesto, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Petersen Alternative Center for Education?
The student-teacher ratio at Petersen Alternative Center for Education is 27.6:1, which is 28% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 76% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Petersen Alternative Center for Education?
86.7% of students at Petersen Alternative Center for Education are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Petersen Alternative Center for Education?
The largest demographic group at Petersen Alternative Center for Education is Hispanic or Latino at 76.6% of enrollment, in Modesto, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Petersen Alternative Center for Education?
Petersen Alternative Center for Education has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Petersen Alternative Center for Education rank among schools in Modesto?
By Resource Investment Index, Petersen Alternative Center for Education ranks #5 of 6 schools in Modesto, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Modesto on the city page.
Is Petersen Alternative Center for Education a good school?
Petersen Alternative Center for Education earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% 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 Stanislaus County Office of Education?
Besides Petersen Alternative Center for Education, Stanislaus County Office of Education also operates Stanislaus County Special Education (462 students), Stanislaus Military Academy at Teel (125 students), and John B Allard (112 students). See the Stanislaus 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.