Enrollment
1,624
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Santee, CA
West Hills High
Federal NCES profile for West Hills High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 061623009141
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 70
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Hills High earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of California schools.
- #3 of 12
- public schools in Santee · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.4:1
- large classes for California
- 24.3%
- free-lunch eligible
West Hills High has class sizes larger than 82% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Hills High ranks #3 of 12 public schools in Santee, CA.
School address
District: Grossmont Union High · California
NCES ID 061623009141 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
64.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-56% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Hills High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Hills High
West Hills High is a large high school in Santee, California, enrolling 1,624 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.4:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 24.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,624 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 350 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #132.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (35%) (diversity index 63/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 14 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 325 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Santee's high schools, it stands alongside Santana High (1,621 students): West Hills High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.4:1 vs 25.3:1).
Grossmont Union High also operates Granite Hills High (2,331 students) and Grossmont High (2,172 students) alongside West Hills High.
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 West Hills High compares
West Hills High on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 25.4:1 | ▲ 18% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.3% | ▼ 56% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,624 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.4:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,624
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 56% 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
25.4:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 82% in California - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
24.2%
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
$17,029
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 325 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 36 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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 48.2%
Hispanic or Latino 35.2%
Two or More 9.0%
Asian 6.1%
African American 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 48.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.2, West Hills High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 14
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Grossmont Union High, which includes West Hills High.
$17,029
Per student
+3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.2%
State 38.6%
Federal 12.2%
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 West Hills High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Granite Hills High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Grossmont High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| El Capitan High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Valhalla High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| El Cajon Valley High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Hills High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,331
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,172
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,810
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,728
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,701
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar high schools in Santee
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~1,624 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Hills High's federal record.
- Compare West Hills High against another school. Compare schools
- Grossmont 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 West Hills High
How many students attend West Hills High?
West Hills High has 1,624 students enrolled. It is a high school in Santee, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Hills High?
The student-teacher ratio at West Hills High is 25.4:1, which is 18% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 62% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Hills High?
24.3% of students at West Hills High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Hills High?
The largest demographic group at West Hills High is White at 48.2% of enrollment, in Santee, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Hills High?
West Hills High has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 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 West Hills High rank among public schools in Santee?
By Resource Investment Index, West Hills High ranks #3 of 12 public schools in Santee, 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 Santee on the city page.
Is West Hills High a good school?
West Hills High earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% 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 Grossmont Union High?
Besides West Hills High, Grossmont Union High also operates Granite Hills High (2,331 students), Grossmont High (2,172 students), and El Capitan High (1,810 students). See the Grossmont 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.