Enrollment
11
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Santee, CA
Santee Alternative
Federal NCES profile for Santee Alternative, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063588001222
👥 S:T ratio 78
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Santee Alternative earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of California schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in California.
- #2 of 10
- elementary schools in Santee · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 5.5:1
- small classes for California
- 36.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Santee Alternative has class sizes smaller than 99% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Santee Alternative ranks #2 of 10 elementary schools in Santee, CA.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
2.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
5.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-74% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
-34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Santee Alternative compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Santee Alternative
Santee Alternative is a small elementary school in Santee, California, enrolling 11 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 5.5:1, Santee Alternative is leaner than roughly 99% of California schools and 74% 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 36.8% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 98% of California schools, with 11 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 91% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 31 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #12.
Its student body is led by White (55%) and Hispanic or Latino (36%) (diversity index 56/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 81.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Santee spends $13,289 per pupil, 20% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Santee's elementary schools, it stands alongside Rio Seco Elementary (913 students): Santee Alternative is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (5.5:1 vs 23.4:1).
Santee also operates Rio Seco Elementary (913 students) and Cajon Park Elementary (830 students) alongside Santee Alternative.
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 Santee Alternative compares
Santee Alternative on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 5.5:1 | ▼ 74% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.8% | ▼ 34% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 11 | top 98% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
5.5:1
Leaner classes than 98% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
11
Bigger than 2% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% 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
5.5:1
students per teacher
- 74% below state mean
Top 1% in California - lower ratio than 99% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
81.8%
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
$13,289
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
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 54.5%
Hispanic or Latino 36.4%
Two or More 9.1%
Largest group: White at 54.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.2, Santee Alternative is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Santee, which includes Santee Alternative.
$13,289
Per student
-20%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.8%
State 54.5%
Federal 9.7%
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 Santee Alternative Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Seco Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cajon Park Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Carlton Oaks Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hill Creek Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pepper Drive Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Santee Alternative's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 913
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 830
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 823
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 661
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
Similar elementary schools in Santee
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Rio Seco Elementary
Standard public school
913 students 23.4:1 students per teacher
Cajon Park Elementary
Standard public school
830 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
Carlton Oaks Elementary
Standard public school
823 students 22.2:1 students per teacher
Hill Creek Elementary
Standard public school
695 students 24:1 students per teacher
Chet F. Harritt Elementary
Standard public school
606 students 24.2:1 students per teacher
Carlton Hills Elementary
Standard public school
601 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~11 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Santee Alternative's federal record.
- Compare Santee Alternative against another school. Compare schools
- Santee'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 Santee Alternative
How many students attend Santee Alternative?
Santee Alternative has 11 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Santee, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Santee Alternative?
The student-teacher ratio at Santee Alternative is 5.5:1, which is 74% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 65% 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 Santee Alternative?
36.8% of students at Santee Alternative are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Santee Alternative?
The largest demographic group at Santee Alternative is White at 54.5% of enrollment, in Santee, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Santee Alternative?
Santee Alternative has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher 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 Santee Alternative rank among elementary schools in Santee?
By Resource Investment Index, Santee Alternative ranks #2 of 10 elementary schools in Santee, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Santee on the city page.
Is Santee Alternative a good school?
Santee Alternative earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of California schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in California. 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 Santee?
Besides Santee Alternative, Santee also operates Rio Seco Elementary (913 students), Cajon Park Elementary (830 students), and Carlton Oaks Elementary (823 students). See the Santee 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.