Enrollment
730
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Santa Cruz, CA
Santa Cruz County Community
Federal NCES profile for Santa Cruz County Community, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 069103610668
👥 S:T ratio 3
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Santa Cruz County Community earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of California schools.
- #5 of 6
- schools in Santa Cruz · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.3:1
- large classes for California
- 43.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Santa Cruz County Community has class sizes larger than 74% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Santa Cruz County Community ranks #5 of 6 schools in Santa Cruz, CA.
School address
District: Santa Cruz County Office of Education · California
NCES ID 069103610668 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Santa Cruz County Community compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Santa Cruz County Community
Santa Cruz County Community is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Santa Cruz, California, enrolling 730 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.3:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 43.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 730 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,250 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #961, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (59%) and White (36%) (diversity index 53/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Santa Cruz County Office of Education spends $48,496 per pupil, 194% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Santa Cruz's public schools, it stands alongside Pacific Collegiate Charter (536 students): Santa Cruz County Community is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.3:1 vs 15.8:1).
Santa Cruz County Office of Education also operates Santa Cruz County Career Advancement Charter (207 students) and Santa Cruz County Special Education (105 students) alongside Santa Cruz County Community.
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 Santa Cruz County Community compares
Santa Cruz County Community on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 24.3:1 | ▲ 13% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.3% | ▼ 22% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 730 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.3:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
730
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
24.3:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 74% in California - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
28.8%
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.
Funding equity
$48,496
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
2
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.0 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.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 59.0%
White 35.5%
Asian 1.7%
Two or More 1.5%
African American 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 59.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.5, Santa Cruz County Community is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Santa Cruz County Office of Education, which includes Santa Cruz County Community.
$48,496
Per student
+194%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+192%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.3%
State 52.7%
Federal 10.0%
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 Santa Cruz County Community Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz County Career Advancement Charter | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Santa Cruz County Special Education | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Santa Cruz County Court | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Santa Cruz County Community's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 207
- Students per teacher
- 29.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 105
- Students per teacher
- 7.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 20
- Students per teacher
- 5:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar other schools in Santa Cruz
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Pacific Collegiate Charter
Standard public school
536 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Alternative Family Education
Alternative education program
110 students 27.5:1 students per teacher
Santa Cruz County Special Education
Special-education school
105 students 7.5:1 students per teacher
Ark Independent Studies
Alternative education program
56 students 28:1 students per teacher
Santa Cruz County Court
Alternative education program
20 students 5:1 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 (~730 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Santa Cruz County Community's federal record.
- Compare Santa Cruz County Community against another school. Compare schools
- Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz County Community
How many students attend Santa Cruz County Community?
Santa Cruz County Community has 730 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Santa Cruz, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Santa Cruz County Community?
The student-teacher ratio at Santa Cruz County Community is 24.3:1, which is 13% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 55% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Santa Cruz County Community?
43.3% of students at Santa Cruz County Community are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Santa Cruz County Community?
The largest demographic group at Santa Cruz County Community is Hispanic or Latino at 59.0% of enrollment, in Santa Cruz, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Santa Cruz County Community?
Santa Cruz County Community has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (lower 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 Santa Cruz County Community rank among schools in Santa Cruz?
By Resource Investment Index, Santa Cruz County Community ranks #5 of 6 schools in Santa Cruz, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Santa Cruz on the city page.
Is Santa Cruz County Community a good school?
Santa Cruz County Community earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% 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 Santa Cruz County Office of Education?
Besides Santa Cruz County Community, Santa Cruz County Office of Education also operates Santa Cruz County Career Advancement Charter (207 students), Santa Cruz County Special Education (105 students), and Santa Cruz County Court (20 students). See the Santa Cruz County Office of Education district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Compare schools
Side-by-side comparison tool
Schools in California
All public schools in California
Santa Cruz County Office of Education
All schools in this district
Schools in Santa Cruz
All schools in this city
School districts
Ranked by enrollment & spending
Rankings
Best schools by state & type
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.