Enrollment
131
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Santa Clara, CA
Wilson Alternative
Federal NCES profile for Wilson Alternative, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 063543008984
👥 S:T ratio 67
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 74
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wilson Alternative earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of California schools.
- #2 of 24
- public schools in Santa Clara · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 8.2:1
- small classes for California
- 42.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Wilson Alternative has class sizes smaller than 97% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wilson Alternative ranks #2 of 24 public schools in Santa Clara, CA.
School address
District: Santa Clara Unified · California
NCES ID 063543008984 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-62% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wilson Alternative compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wilson Alternative
Wilson Alternative is a small combined-grade school in Santa Clara, California, enrolling 131 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.2:1, Wilson Alternative is leaner than roughly 97% of California schools and 62% 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 42.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 131 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 271 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #23, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (52%) and White (22%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 131 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
The surrounding Santa Clara Unified spends $24,038 per pupil, 46% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Santa Clara's public schools, it stands alongside Santa Clara Community Day (10 students): Wilson Alternative is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (8.2:1 vs 5:1).
Santa Clara Unified also operates Santa Clara High (1,663 students) and Adrian Wilcox High (1,614 students) alongside Wilson 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 Wilson Alternative compares
Wilson 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 | 8.2:1 | ▼ 62% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.9% | ▼ 23% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 131 | top 87% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.2:1
Leaner classes than 95% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
131
Bigger than 13% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
8.2:1
students per teacher
- 62% below state mean
Top 3% in California - lower ratio than 97% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$24,038
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 131 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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 51.5%
White 22.3%
Asian 14.6%
Two or More 6.9%
African American 3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 51.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.8, Wilson Alternative is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Santa Clara Unified, which includes Wilson Alternative.
$24,038
Per student
+46%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+45%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 81.9%
State 13.2%
Federal 4.9%
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 Wilson Alternative Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Adrian Wilcox High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Juan Cabrillo Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Marian a. Peterson Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Buchser Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wilson Alternative's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,663
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,614
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 796
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 759
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 711
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Santa Clara
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 (~131 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wilson Alternative's federal record.
- Compare Wilson Alternative against another school. Compare schools
- Santa Clara 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 Wilson Alternative
How many students attend Wilson Alternative?
Wilson Alternative has 131 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Santa Clara, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wilson Alternative?
The student-teacher ratio at Wilson Alternative is 8.2:1, which is 62% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 48% 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 Wilson Alternative?
42.9% of students at Wilson Alternative are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wilson Alternative?
The largest demographic group at Wilson Alternative is Hispanic or Latino at 51.5% of enrollment, in Santa Clara, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wilson Alternative?
Wilson Alternative has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Wilson Alternative rank among public schools in Santa Clara?
By Resource Investment Index, Wilson Alternative ranks #2 of 24 public schools in Santa Clara, 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 Santa Clara on the city page.
Is Wilson Alternative a good school?
Wilson Alternative earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% 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 Santa Clara Unified?
Besides Wilson Alternative, Santa Clara Unified also operates Santa Clara High (1,663 students), Adrian Wilcox High (1,614 students), and Juan Cabrillo Middle (796 students). See the Santa Clara 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.