- Enrollment
- 609
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
High school (grades 9-12) · Tollhouse, CA
Sierra Alternative High
Federal NCES profile for Sierra Alternative High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 75/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 063680500399
👥 S:T ratio 80
🌟 Gifted program 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sierra Alternative High earns 75/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of California schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in California.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Tollhouse · Resource Index
- 75
- Resource Index · Higher
- 5:1
- small classes for California
- 57.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Sierra Alternative High has class sizes smaller than 99% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sierra Alternative High ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Tollhouse, CA.
School address
District: Sierra Unified · California
NCES ID 063680500399 Verify on NCES CCD record →
CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24
+9 students YoY
Sierra Alternative High grew from 14 students in 2022-23 to 23 in 2023-24 (+64.3%).
Teacher FTE held 2.0 → 2.0 across the same CCD years.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).
Growing CCD campus
+9 students YoY 063680500399 · Tollhouse, CA High · SMALL · TRAD
10 enr · 5:1 · 57.1% lunch · RII 75
Nearest enrollment peer: Foothill Elementary (609 students)
Sierra Alternative High grew from 14 students in 2022-23 to 23 in 2023-24 (+64.3%). Teacher FTE held 2.0 → 2.0 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · California schools → · Find another →
Sierra Alternative High in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- Foothill Eleme
Foothill Elementary
609 students
- Sierra High
Sierra High
367 students
- Sierra Junior 184
Sierra Junior High
184 students
- Sierra@Home 81
Sierra@Home
81 students
- This school 10
Sierra Alternative High
10 students
What this shows Sierra Alternative High reports 10 students on the CCD universe file.
How Sierra Alternative High compares
Sierra Alternative High is a growing campus on CCD: ratios and free-lunch share vs California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 5:1 | ▼ 77% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.1% | ▲ 3% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 10 | top 98% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
5:1
Leaner classes than 98% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
10
Bigger than 1% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators methodology
Economic need
57.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
5:1
students per teacher
- 77% 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.
Funding equity
$18,326
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $18,665
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 70.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 130.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
White 60.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 40.0%
Largest group: White at 60.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.0, Sierra Alternative High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
District finance for Sierra Unified reports $18,326 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.
How Sierra Alternative High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foothill Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sierra High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sierra Junior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sierra@Home | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sierra Alternative High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 367
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 184
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 81
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar high schools in Tollhouse
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Nationwide high schools with similar size or staffing
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.
Similar enrollment (~10 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~5:1)
Frequently asked questions about Sierra Alternative High
How many students attend Sierra Alternative High?
Sierra Alternative High has 10 students enrolled. It is a high school in Tollhouse, CA. CCD year-over-year: 14 (2022-23) → 23 (2023-24), up 9.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sierra Alternative High?
The student-teacher ratio at Sierra Alternative High is 5:1, which is 77% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 68% 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 Sierra Alternative High?
57.1% of students at Sierra Alternative High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sierra Alternative High?
The largest demographic group at Sierra Alternative High is White at 60.0% of enrollment, in Tollhouse, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sierra Alternative High?
Sierra Alternative High has a Resource Investment Index of 75/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Sierra Alternative High rank among public schools in Tollhouse?
By Resource Investment Index, Sierra Alternative High ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Tollhouse, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking.
What other schools are in Sierra Unified?
Besides Sierra Alternative High, Sierra Unified also operates Foothill Elementary (609 students), Sierra High (367 students), and Sierra Junior High (184 students). See the Sierra Unified district page for the complete list.