Academy for Change

Students in Chico, California, attend Academy for Change, a very small high school. Enrollment totals 31 students across grades 6 through 12. That puts enrollment 96% below the 838-student average for high schools in California.

Chico Unified runs Academy for Change along with 21 other schools, enrolling 12,260 students in total.

Of every 100 students at Academy for Change, about 61 are White. The school is also 19% Hispanic, 13% multiracial, 3% Black, and 3% Native American. The White share of the county population is higher, at 70%.

The school had 2.6 full-time-equivalent teachers in 2024-25. Its student-to-teacher ratio is 11.7:1. The gap from the 18.2:1 average for high schools in California is 6.5 students per teacher. The school reported 94% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024-25. The 63% average for public schools in Butte County is 31 points lower.

For the population of Butte County, median household income comes to about $67,928, roughly 32% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 12%. Butte County counts 96 public schools with about 29,730 students.

Center for Alternative Learning, less than a tenth of a mile away, is the closest public school. Other public schools within five miles number at least 8.

On the NCES locale scale, the school is City: Mid-size.

Enrollment records show 11 in 2017-18 and 31 in 2024-25. Because schools sometimes add or drop grades, the two numbers may not be directly comparable. The percentage of Hispanic students fell from 55% to 19% between 2017-18 and 2024-25. Its ratio of students to teachers was 7.9:1 in 2017-18, and 11.7:1 in 2024-25.

People who know Academy for Change can post here about open houses, carpools, and field trips. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.