Enrollment
284
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Whittier, CA
Sierra Vista High (Alternative)
Federal NCES profile for Sierra Vista High (Alternative), including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 064248000496
👥 S:T ratio 13
📚 AP courses 20
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sierra Vista High (Alternative) earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #2 of 6
- high schools in Whittier · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.8:1
- students per teacher
- 77.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Sierra Vista High (Alternative) has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sierra Vista High (Alternative) ranks #2 of 6 high schools in Whittier, CA.
School address
District: Whittier Union High · California
NCES ID 064248000496 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sierra Vista High (Alternative) compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sierra Vista High (Alternative)
Sierra Vista High (Alternative) is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Whittier, California, enrolling 284 students.
At 21.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 77.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 284 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,082 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #187.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (93% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 13/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 4 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 142 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Among Whittier's high schools, it stands alongside La Serna High (2,372 students): Sierra Vista High (Alternative) is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.8:1 vs 25.5:1).
Whittier Union High also operates La Serna High (2,372 students) and California High (2,261 students) alongside Sierra Vista High (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 Sierra Vista High (Alternative) compares
Sierra Vista High (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 | 21.8:1 | ▲ 1% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.8% | ▲ 40% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 284 | top 76% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.8:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
284
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% 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
21.8:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 51% in California - lower ratio than 49% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Funding equity
$18,738
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 142 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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 93.0%
White 3.5%
Two or More 1.4%
Asian 1.1%
African American 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 93.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 13.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 13.3, Sierra Vista High (Alternative) is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Whittier Union High, which includes Sierra Vista High (Alternative).
$18,738
Per student
+14%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.5%
State 61.9%
Federal 10.5%
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 Sierra Vista High (Alternative) Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Serna High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| California High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Santa Fe High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Whittier High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pioneer High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sierra Vista High (Alternative)'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,372
- Students per teacher
- 25.5:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 2,261
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,865
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,652
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,000
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar high schools in Whittier
5 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
La Serna High
Standard public school
2,372 students 25.5:1 students per teacher
California High
Standard public school
2,261 students 20.9:1 students per teacher
Whittier High
Standard public school
1,652 students 20.4:1 students per teacher
Pioneer High
Standard public school
1,000 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Frontier High (Continuation)
Alternative education program
364 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Similar high 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 (~284 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sierra Vista High (Alternative)'s federal record.
- Compare Sierra Vista High (Alternative) against another school. Compare schools
- Whittier Union High'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 Sierra Vista High (Alternative)
How many students attend Sierra Vista High (Alternative)?
Sierra Vista High (Alternative) has 284 students enrolled. It is a high school in Whittier, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sierra Vista High (Alternative)?
The student-teacher ratio at Sierra Vista High (Alternative) is 21.8:1, which is 1% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 39% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sierra Vista High (Alternative)?
77.8% of students at Sierra Vista High (Alternative) are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sierra Vista High (Alternative)?
The largest demographic group at Sierra Vista High (Alternative) is Hispanic or Latino at 93.0% of enrollment, in Whittier, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sierra Vista High (Alternative)?
Sierra Vista High (Alternative) has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Sierra Vista High (Alternative) rank among high schools in Whittier?
By Resource Investment Index, Sierra Vista High (Alternative) ranks #2 of 6 high schools in Whittier, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Whittier on the city page.
Is Sierra Vista High (Alternative) a good school?
Sierra Vista High (Alternative) earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Whittier Union High?
Besides Sierra Vista High (Alternative), Whittier Union High also operates La Serna High (2,372 students), California High (2,261 students), and Santa Fe High (1,865 students). See the Whittier Union High 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.