Enrollment
39
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fremont, CA
Vista Alternative
Federal NCES profile for Vista Alternative, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 061440009369
👥 S:T ratio 61
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vista Alternative earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of California schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in California.
- #3 of 4
- schools in Fremont · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 9.8:1
- small classes for California
- 37.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Vista Alternative has class sizes smaller than 96% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vista Alternative ranks #3 of 4 schools in Fremont, CA.
School address
District: Fremont Unified · California
NCES ID 061440009369 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
4.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-54% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vista Alternative compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vista Alternative
Vista Alternative is a small combined-grade school in Fremont, California, enrolling 39 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.8:1, Vista Alternative is leaner than roughly 96% of California schools and 54% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 37.9% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 95% of California schools, with 39 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 86 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #39.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (36%) and Asian (33%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
The surrounding Fremont Unified spends $12,515 per pupil, 24% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Fremont's public schools, it stands alongside Circle of Independent Learning (394 students): Vista Alternative is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9.8:1 vs 18.8:1).
Fremont Unified also operates American High (2,618 students) and Irvington High (2,157 students) alongside Vista 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 Vista Alternative compares
Vista 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 | 9.8:1 | ▼ 54% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.9% | ▼ 32% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 39 | top 95% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.8:1
Leaner classes than 90% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
39
Bigger than 5% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% 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
9.8:1
students per teacher
- 54% below state mean
Top 4% in California - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$12,515
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that 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 35.9%
Asian 33.3%
White 12.8%
Two or More 10.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 5.1%
African American 2.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 35.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.0, Vista Alternative is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fremont Unified, which includes Vista Alternative.
$12,515
Per student
-24%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.9%
State 52.4%
Federal 6.7%
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 Vista Alternative Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| American High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Irvington High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thornton Junior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Washington High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mission San Jose High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Vista Alternative's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,618
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,157
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,972
- Students per teacher
- 39.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,957
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,794
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Fremont
3 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 (~39 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vista Alternative's federal record.
- Compare Vista Alternative against another school. Compare schools
- Fremont 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 Vista Alternative
How many students attend Vista Alternative?
Vista Alternative has 39 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Fremont, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vista Alternative?
The student-teacher ratio at Vista Alternative is 9.8:1, which is 54% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 38% 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 Vista Alternative?
37.9% of students at Vista Alternative are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vista Alternative?
The largest demographic group at Vista Alternative is Hispanic or Latino at 35.9% of enrollment, in Fremont, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vista Alternative?
Vista Alternative has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings. 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 Vista Alternative rank among schools in Fremont?
By Resource Investment Index, Vista Alternative ranks #3 of 4 schools in Fremont, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Fremont on the city page.
Is Vista Alternative a good school?
Vista Alternative earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% 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 Fremont Unified?
Besides Vista Alternative, Fremont Unified also operates American High (2,618 students), Irvington High (2,157 students), and Thornton Junior High (1,972 students). See the Fremont 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.