Enrollment
105
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Santa Cruz, CA
Santa Cruz County Special Education
Federal NCES profile for Santa Cruz County Special Education, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 069103608020
👥 S:T ratio 70
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Santa Cruz County Special Education earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of California schools.
- #4 of 6
- schools in Santa Cruz · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 7.5:1
- small classes for California
- 27.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Santa Cruz 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, Santa Cruz County Special Education ranks #4 of 6 schools in Santa Cruz, CA.
School address
District: Santa Cruz County Office of Education · California
NCES ID 069103608020 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-65% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Santa Cruz County Special Education compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Santa Cruz County Special Education
Santa Cruz County Special Education is a small combined-grade school in Santa Cruz, California, enrolling 105 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.5:1, Santa Cruz County Special Education is leaner than roughly 98% of California schools and 65% 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 27.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 105 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 129 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #68.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (34%) (diversity index 64/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.6% 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 Santa Cruz County Community (730 students): Santa Cruz County Special Education is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (7.5:1 vs 24.3:1).
Santa Cruz County Office of Education also operates Santa Cruz County Community (730 students) and Santa Cruz County Career Advancement Charter (207 students) alongside Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz County Special Education compares
Santa Cruz 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 | 7.5:1 | ▼ 65% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.0% | ▼ 51% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 105 | top 89% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.5:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
105
Bigger than 10% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
7.5:1
students per teacher
- 65% 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
48.6%
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
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.
Student demographics
White 47.6%
Hispanic or Latino 34.3%
Asian 8.6%
Two or More 8.6%
African American 1.0%
Largest group: White at 47.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.1, Santa Cruz County Special Education 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 Special Education.
$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 Special Education Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz County Community | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Santa Cruz County Career Advancement Charter | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Santa Cruz County Court | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Santa Cruz County Special Education's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 730
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 207
- Students per teacher
- 29.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- 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.
Santa Cruz County Community
Alternative education program
730 students 24.3:1 students per teacher
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
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 (~105 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Santa Cruz County Special Education's federal record.
- Compare Santa Cruz County Special Education 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 Special Education
How many students attend Santa Cruz County Special Education?
Santa Cruz County Special Education has 105 students enrolled. It is a special-education school in Santa Cruz, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Santa Cruz County Special Education?
The student-teacher ratio at Santa Cruz County Special Education is 7.5:1, which is 65% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 52% 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 Santa Cruz County Special Education?
27.0% of students at Santa Cruz County Special Education are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Santa Cruz County Special Education?
The largest demographic group at Santa Cruz County Special Education is White at 47.6% of enrollment, in Santa Cruz, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Santa Cruz County Special Education?
Santa Cruz County Special Education has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Santa Cruz County Special Education rank among schools in Santa Cruz?
By Resource Investment Index, Santa Cruz County Special Education ranks #4 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 Special Education a good school?
Santa Cruz County Special Education earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% 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 Special Education, Santa Cruz County Office of Education also operates Santa Cruz County Community (730 students), Santa Cruz County Career Advancement Charter (207 students), and Santa Cruz County Court (20 students). See the Santa Cruz County Office of Education district page for the complete list.
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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.