Enrollment
221
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Rancho Cordova, CA
Walnutwood High (Independent Study)
Federal NCES profile for Walnutwood High (Independent Study), including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 061389009821
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Walnutwood High (Independent Study) earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of California schools.
- #3 of 3
- schools in Rancho Cordova · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17:1
- small classes for California
- 31.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Walnutwood High (Independent Study) has class sizes smaller than 83% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Walnutwood High (Independent Study) ranks #3 of 3 schools in Rancho Cordova, CA.
School address
District: Folsom-Cordova Unified · California
NCES ID 061389009821 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Walnutwood High (Independent Study) compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Walnutwood High (Independent Study)
Walnutwood High (Independent Study) is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Rancho Cordova, California, enrolling 221 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 17:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 31.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 221 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 370 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #198.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 368 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 66.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Rancho Cordova's public schools, it stands alongside Innovations Academy (113 students): Walnutwood High (Independent Study) is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17:1 vs 7.1:1).
Folsom-Cordova Unified also operates Folsom High (2,901 students) and Cordova High (1,944 students) alongside Walnutwood High (Independent Study).
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 Walnutwood High (Independent Study) compares
Walnutwood High (Independent Study) on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17:1 | ▼ 21% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.7% | ▼ 43% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 221 | top 81% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
221
Bigger than 22% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% 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
17:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 17% in California - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
66.1%
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
$13,871
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
Counselors0.6 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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 53.8%
Hispanic or Latino 24.4%
Two or More 11.3%
Asian 5.4%
African American 4.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 53.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.3, Walnutwood High (Independent Study) is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Folsom-Cordova Unified, which includes Walnutwood High (Independent Study).
$13,871
Per student
-16%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.4%
State 49.9%
Federal 11.7%
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 Walnutwood High (Independent Study) Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Folsom High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cordova High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Vista Del Lago High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sutter Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Folsom Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Walnutwood High (Independent Study)'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,901
- Students per teacher
- 27.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,944
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,782
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,628
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,508
- Students per teacher
- 27.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar other schools in Rancho Cordova
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 (~221 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Walnutwood High (Independent Study)'s federal record.
- Compare Walnutwood High (Independent Study) against another school. Compare schools
- Folsom-Cordova 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 Walnutwood High (Independent Study)
How many students attend Walnutwood High (Independent Study)?
Walnutwood High (Independent Study) has 221 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Rancho Cordova, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Walnutwood High (Independent Study)?
The student-teacher ratio at Walnutwood High (Independent Study) is 17:1, which is 21% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 8% 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 Walnutwood High (Independent Study)?
31.7% of students at Walnutwood High (Independent Study) are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Walnutwood High (Independent Study)?
The largest demographic group at Walnutwood High (Independent Study) is White at 53.8% of enrollment, in Rancho Cordova, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walnutwood High (Independent Study)?
Walnutwood High (Independent Study) has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 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 Walnutwood High (Independent Study) rank among schools in Rancho Cordova?
By Resource Investment Index, Walnutwood High (Independent Study) ranks #3 of 3 schools in Rancho Cordova, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Rancho Cordova on the city page.
Is Walnutwood High (Independent Study) a good school?
Walnutwood High (Independent Study) earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% 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 Folsom-Cordova Unified?
Besides Walnutwood High (Independent Study), Folsom-Cordova Unified also operates Folsom High (2,901 students), Cordova High (1,944 students), and Vista Del Lago High (1,782 students). See the Folsom-Cordova 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.