Enrollment
56
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Valley Center, CA
Valley Center Prep
Federal NCES profile for Valley Center Prep, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 060006910646
👥 S:T ratio 25
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Valley Center Prep earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 75% of California schools.
- #4 of 9
- public schools in Valley Center · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.7:1
- small classes for California
- 64.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Valley Center Prep has class sizes smaller than 75% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Center Prep ranks #4 of 9 public schools in Valley Center, CA.
School address
District: Valley Center-Pauma Unified · California
NCES ID 060006910646 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
3.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
+16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Valley Center Prep compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Valley Center Prep
Valley Center Prep is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Valley Center, California, enrolling 56 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 64.3% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 93% of California schools, with 56 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 164 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #115.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (61%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (21%) (diversity index 57/100).
Among Valley Center's public schools, it stands alongside All Tribes Charter (82 students): Valley Center Prep is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.7:1 vs 16.4:1).
Valley Center-Pauma Unified also operates Valley Center High (1,075 students) and Valley Center Middle (766 students) alongside Valley Center Prep.
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 Valley Center Prep compares
Valley Center Prep on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.7:1 | ▼ 13% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.3% | ▲ 16% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 56 | top 93% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.7:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
56
Bigger than 6% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% 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
18.7:1
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.
Funding equity
$14,038
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
Hispanic or Latino 60.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 21.4%
White 10.7%
Two or More 5.4%
African American 1.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 60.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.1, Valley Center Prep is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Valley Center-Pauma Unified, which includes Valley Center Prep.
$14,038
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.6%
State 41.7%
Federal 13.7%
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 Valley Center Prep Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Center High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valley Center Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valley Center Primary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valley Center Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lilac | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Valley Center Prep's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,075
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 766
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 496
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 476
- Students per teacher
- 25.1:1
- Resource Index
- 9/100
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
Similar other schools in Valley Center
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~56 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Valley Center Prep's federal record.
- Compare Valley Center Prep against another school. Compare schools
- Valley Center-Pauma 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 Valley Center Prep
How many students attend Valley Center Prep?
Valley Center Prep has 56 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Valley Center, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Valley Center Prep?
The student-teacher ratio at Valley Center Prep is 18.7:1, which is 13% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 19% 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 Valley Center Prep?
64.3% of students at Valley Center Prep are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Valley Center Prep?
The largest demographic group at Valley Center Prep is Hispanic or Latino at 60.7% of enrollment, in Valley Center, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Valley Center Prep?
Valley Center Prep has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. 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 Valley Center Prep rank among public schools in Valley Center?
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Center Prep ranks #4 of 9 public schools in Valley Center, 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 Valley Center on the city page.
Is Valley Center Prep a good school?
Valley Center Prep earns 28/100 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 Valley Center-Pauma Unified?
Besides Valley Center Prep, Valley Center-Pauma Unified also operates Valley Center High (1,075 students), Valley Center Middle (766 students), and Valley Center Primary (496 students). See the Valley Center-Pauma 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.