Enrollment
43
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Petaluma, CA
Valley Oaks High (Alternative)
Federal NCES profile for Valley Oaks High (Alternative), including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 063025005439
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Valley Oaks High (Alternative) earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of California schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in California.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Petaluma · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.3:1
- small classes for California
- 16.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Valley Oaks High (Alternative) has class sizes smaller than 90% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Oaks High (Alternative) ranks #2 of 3 schools in Petaluma, CA.
School address
District: Petaluma Joint Union High · California
NCES ID 063025005439 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
3.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
16.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-71% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Valley Oaks High (Alternative) compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Valley Oaks High (Alternative)
Valley Oaks High (Alternative) is a lower-poverty, small combined-grade school in Petaluma, California, enrolling 43 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 14.3:1, Valley Oaks High (Alternative) is leaner than roughly 90% of California schools and 33% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 16.0% free-meal eligibility runs 71% below the California average.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 95% of California schools, with 43 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 41 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #25.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 49/100).
Among Petaluma's public schools, it stands alongside Heartwood Charter (739 students): Valley Oaks High (Alternative) is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.3:1 vs 35.2:1).
Petaluma Joint Union High also operates Casa Grande High (1,653 students) and Petaluma High (1,193 students) alongside Valley Oaks 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 Valley Oaks High (Alternative) compares
Valley Oaks 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 | 14.3:1 | ▼ 33% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 16.0% | ▼ 71% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 43 | top 95% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
43
Bigger than 5% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
16.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 71% 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 33% below state mean
Top 10% in California - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
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
White 68.3%
Hispanic or Latino 19.5%
Two or More 7.3%
African American 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.4%
Largest group: White at 68.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.9, Valley Oaks High (Alternative) is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
How Valley Oaks High (Alternative) Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casa Grande High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Petaluma High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kenilworth Junior High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Petaluma Junior High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Valley Oaks High (Alternative)'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,653
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,193
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 812
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 494
- Students per teacher
- 29.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 454
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar other schools in Petaluma
2 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 (~43 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Valley Oaks High (Alternative)'s federal record.
- Compare Valley Oaks High (Alternative) against another school. Compare schools
- Petaluma Joint 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 Valley Oaks High (Alternative)
How many students attend Valley Oaks High (Alternative)?
Valley Oaks High (Alternative) has 43 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Petaluma, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Valley Oaks High (Alternative)?
The student-teacher ratio at Valley Oaks High (Alternative) is 14.3:1, which is 33% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 9% 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 Valley Oaks High (Alternative)?
16.0% of students at Valley Oaks High (Alternative) are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Valley Oaks High (Alternative)?
The largest demographic group at Valley Oaks High (Alternative) is White at 68.3% of enrollment, in Petaluma, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Valley Oaks High (Alternative)?
Valley Oaks High (Alternative) has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical 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 Oaks High (Alternative) rank among schools in Petaluma?
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Oaks High (Alternative) ranks #2 of 3 schools in Petaluma, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Petaluma on the city page.
Is Valley Oaks High (Alternative) a good school?
Valley Oaks High (Alternative) earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of California schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in California. 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 Petaluma Joint Union High?
Besides Valley Oaks High (Alternative), Petaluma Joint Union High also operates Casa Grande High (1,653 students), Petaluma High (1,193 students), and Kenilworth Junior High (812 students). See the Petaluma Joint 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.