Enrollment
124
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Larkspur, CA
Tamiscal High (Alternative)
Federal NCES profile for Tamiscal High (Alternative), including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 063879010109
👥 S:T ratio 50
📚 AP courses 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 75
📋 Attendance 88
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tamiscal High (Alternative) earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% of California schools.
- #1 of 3
- high schools in Larkspur · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.4:1
- small classes for California
- 10.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Tamiscal High (Alternative) has class sizes smaller than 93% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tamiscal High (Alternative) ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Larkspur, CA.
School address
District: Tamalpais Union High · California
NCES ID 063879010109 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-42% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-80% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tamiscal High (Alternative) compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tamiscal High (Alternative)
Tamiscal High (Alternative) is a lower-poverty, small high school in Larkspur, California, enrolling 124 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12.4:1, Tamiscal High (Alternative) is leaner than roughly 93% of California schools and 42% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 10.9% free-meal eligibility runs 80% below the California average.
Enrollment of 124 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 97% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 50 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and Asian (11%) (diversity index 53/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 10 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 124 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Tamalpais Union High spends $20,137 per pupil, 22% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Larkspur's high schools, it stands alongside Redwood High (1,722 students): Tamiscal High (Alternative) is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.4:1 vs 18.9:1).
Tamalpais Union High also operates Redwood High (1,722 students) and Tamalpais High (1,470 students) alongside Tamiscal 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 Tamiscal High (Alternative) compares
Tamiscal 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 | 12.4:1 | ▼ 42% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.9% | ▼ 80% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 124 | top 88% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
124
Bigger than 12% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 80% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 42% below state mean
Top 7% in California - lower ratio than 93% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
4.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$20,137
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 124 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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 65.9%
Asian 11.4%
Hispanic or Latino 10.6%
Two or More 8.9%
African American 3.3%
Largest group: White at 65.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.2, Tamiscal High (Alternative) is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tamalpais Union High, which includes Tamiscal High (Alternative).
$20,137
Per student
+22%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 86.3%
State 9.9%
Federal 3.8%
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 Tamiscal High (Alternative) Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redwood High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tamalpais High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Archie Williams High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| San Andreas High (Continuation) | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tamiscal High (Alternative)'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,722
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,470
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,141
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 46
- Students per teacher
- 9.2:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
Similar high schools in Larkspur
2 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 (~124 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tamiscal High (Alternative)'s federal record.
- Compare Tamiscal High (Alternative) against another school. Compare schools
- Tamalpais 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 Tamiscal High (Alternative)
How many students attend Tamiscal High (Alternative)?
Tamiscal High (Alternative) has 124 students enrolled. It is a high school in Larkspur, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tamiscal High (Alternative)?
The student-teacher ratio at Tamiscal High (Alternative) is 12.4:1, which is 42% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 21% 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 Tamiscal High (Alternative)?
10.9% of students at Tamiscal High (Alternative) are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tamiscal High (Alternative)?
The largest demographic group at Tamiscal High (Alternative) is White at 65.9% of enrollment, in Larkspur, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tamiscal High (Alternative)?
Tamiscal High (Alternative) has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (higher 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 Tamiscal High (Alternative) rank among high schools in Larkspur?
By Resource Investment Index, Tamiscal High (Alternative) ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Larkspur, 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 Larkspur on the city page.
Is Tamiscal High (Alternative) a good school?
Tamiscal High (Alternative) earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% 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 Tamalpais Union High?
Besides Tamiscal High (Alternative), Tamalpais Union High also operates Redwood High (1,722 students), Tamalpais High (1,470 students), and Archie Williams High (1,141 students). See the Tamalpais 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.