Enrollment
160
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Los Banos, CA
Valley Los Banos Community
Federal NCES profile for Valley Los Banos Community, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 069102008737
👥 S:T ratio 20
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 64
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Valley Los Banos Community earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #4 of 17
- public schools in Los Banos · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20:1
- students per teacher
- 76.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Valley Los Banos Community has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Los Banos Community ranks #4 of 17 public schools in Los Banos, CA.
School address
District: Merced County Office of Education · California
NCES ID 069102008737 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
+37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Valley Los Banos Community compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Valley Los Banos Community
Valley Los Banos Community is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Los Banos, California, enrolling 160 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 20:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 76.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 160 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 394 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #272.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (92% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 15/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 178 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 98.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Merced County Office of Education spends $61,111 per pupil, 270% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 30.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Los Banos's public schools, it stands alongside Crossroads Alternative Education Center (183 students): Valley Los Banos Community is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20:1 vs 26.1:1).
Merced County Office of Education also operates Merced County Special Education (942 students) and Merced Scholars Charter (334 students) alongside Valley Los Banos Community.
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 Los Banos Community compares
Valley Los Banos Community on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20:1 | ▼ 7% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.1% | ▲ 37% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 160 | top 86% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
160
Bigger than 16% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% 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
20:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 35% in California - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
98.1%
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
$61,111
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
Counselors0.9 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.8 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 91.8%
White 6.3%
African American 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Two or More 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 91.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.3, Valley Los Banos Community is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Merced County Office of Education, which includes Valley Los Banos Community.
$61,111
Per student
+270%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+268%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.1%
State 44.1%
Federal 30.8%
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 Valley Los Banos Community Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merced County Special Education | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Merced Scholars Charter | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Come Back Charter | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valley Atwater Community | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valley Merced Community | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Valley Los Banos Community's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 942
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 334
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 128
- Students per teacher
- 42.7:1
- Resource Index
- 7/100
- Enrollment
- 122
- Students per teacher
- 40.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 99
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar other schools in Los Banos
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 (~160 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Valley Los Banos Community's federal record.
- Compare Valley Los Banos Community against another school. Compare schools
- Merced County Office of Education'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 Los Banos Community
How many students attend Valley Los Banos Community?
Valley Los Banos Community has 160 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Los Banos, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Valley Los Banos Community?
The student-teacher ratio at Valley Los Banos Community is 20:1, which is 7% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 27% 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 Los Banos Community?
76.1% of students at Valley Los Banos Community are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Valley Los Banos Community?
The largest demographic group at Valley Los Banos Community is Hispanic or Latino at 91.8% of enrollment, in Los Banos, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Valley Los Banos Community?
Valley Los Banos Community has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Valley Los Banos Community rank among public schools in Los Banos?
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Los Banos Community ranks #4 of 17 public schools in Los Banos, 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 Los Banos on the city page.
Is Valley Los Banos Community a good school?
Valley Los Banos Community earns 29/100 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 Merced County Office of Education?
Besides Valley Los Banos Community, Merced County Office of Education also operates Merced County Special Education (942 students), Merced Scholars Charter (334 students), and Come Back Charter (128 students). See the Merced County Office of Education 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.