Enrollment
1,076
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · South Lake Tahoe, CA
South Tahoe High
Federal NCES profile for South Tahoe High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 062064002481
👥 S:T ratio 26
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 4
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Tahoe High earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 75% of California schools.
- #9 of 9
- public schools in South Lake Tahoe · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.6:1
- small classes for California
- 39.0%
- free-lunch eligible
South Tahoe High has class sizes smaller than 75% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Tahoe High ranks #9 of 9 public schools in South Lake Tahoe, CA.
School address
District: Lake Tahoe Unified · California
NCES ID 062064002481 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
58.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Tahoe High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Tahoe High
South Tahoe High is a large high school in South Lake Tahoe, California, enrolling 1,076 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 39.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 90% of state schools at 1,076 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 732 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #665, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (49%) and White (43%) (diversity index 58/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 8 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 478 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among South Lake Tahoe's high schools, it stands alongside Mt. Tallac High (50 students): South Tahoe High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.6:1 vs 16.7:1).
Lake Tahoe Unified also operates South Tahoe Middle (716 students) and Bijou Community (422 students) alongside South Tahoe High.
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 South Tahoe High compares
South Tahoe High on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.6:1 | ▼ 13% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.0% | ▼ 30% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,076 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.6:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,076
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
18.6:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 25% in California - lower ratio than 75% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
48.3%
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
$14,850
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
Counselors2.3 FTE
Per 478 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 37 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.9 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 48.6%
White 42.8%
Asian 4.4%
Two or More 3.4%
African American 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 48.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.8, South Tahoe High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lake Tahoe Unified, which includes South Tahoe High.
$14,850
Per student
-10%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.4%
State 42.1%
Federal 9.6%
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 South Tahoe High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Tahoe Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bijou Community | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sierra House Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tahoe Valley Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lake Tahoe Environmental Science Magnet | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Tahoe High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 716
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 422
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 418
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 395
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 334
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar high schools in South Lake Tahoe
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
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 (~1,076 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Tahoe High's federal record.
- Compare South Tahoe High against another school. Compare schools
- Lake Tahoe Unified'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 South Tahoe High
How many students attend South Tahoe High?
South Tahoe High has 1,076 students enrolled. It is a high school in South Lake Tahoe, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Tahoe High?
The student-teacher ratio at South Tahoe High is 18.6:1, which is 13% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 18% higher 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 South Tahoe High?
39.0% of students at South Tahoe High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Tahoe High?
The largest demographic group at South Tahoe High is Hispanic or Latino at 48.6% of enrollment, in South Lake Tahoe, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Tahoe High?
South Tahoe High has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does South Tahoe High rank among public schools in South Lake Tahoe?
By Resource Investment Index, South Tahoe High ranks #9 of 9 public schools in South Lake Tahoe, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in South Lake Tahoe on the city page.
Is South Tahoe High a good school?
South Tahoe High earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 75% 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 Lake Tahoe Unified?
Besides South Tahoe High, Lake Tahoe Unified also operates South Tahoe Middle (716 students), Bijou Community (422 students), and Sierra House Elementary (418 students). See the Lake Tahoe Unified 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.